Parties join hands for a major breakthrough
KATHMANDU, MAR 31 -
In a major breakthrough in the peace process, major political parties on Friday decided to vacate all the PLA cantonments and hand over weapons stored there to the government by April 12. This development has raised hopes that the peace process will finally come to a close. It is also expected to give the much needed impetus to constitution making as the May 27 deadline of the Constituent Assembly nears.
A Special Committee (SC) meeting held after “final” negotiations among leaders of the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML decided to allow 9,705 combatants yet another chance to switch over to voluntary retirement and refer the rest to the Nepal Army. The Army has been entrusted with the task to screen candidates for integration based on its standard norms and the November 1 seven-point agreement, which, among other things, commits to completing the integration process. Leaders said it will be easier for the Army with a significant number among the 9,705 combatants likely to opt for voluntary retirement during the second survey, which will begin early next week. Friday’s agreement is a significant development in the last four months since the parties struck the seven-point deal. A rift in the Maoist party and the hardliners’ objection to the party leadership’s line of peace and statute, was the major factor affecting progress in the peace process, leaders engaged in the negotiations said.
Nepali Congress leader Ram Sharan Mahat said the Special Committee decision is an ‘important step’ towards concluding the peace process. He said constitution making will also move ahead along with the progress on integration.
Though the parties agreed that the Army will determine the ranks on its own, sources said they have informally agreed to provide a rank of colonel to a senior combatant in the Army’s general directorate that will be formed to integrate the Maoist combatants.
Finance Minister and Special Committee member Barsha Man Pun said leaders have reached an informal understanding on the issue.
A significant number of combatants, including commanders, are all set to opt for retirement when teams of Special Committee Secretariat will visit cantonment sites next week.
“All the combatants who opt for integration will be handed over to the Army once the retirement process completes,” Pun said. “Weapons stored in containers and used in the security of cantonments will be brought under the government within the end of Chaitra (April 12),” he added. The Special Committee will meet again on Sunday to endorse a detailed action plan.
During ongoing discussions at the secretariat, Maoists have demanded that the NA be allowed to decide on the integration roadmap as per its standard norms.
“We submitted an initial action plan today and leaders have said the proposal requires fine tuning,” said Secretariat Coordinator Balananda Sharma. He said the essence of Friday’s deal is that the integration process will be completed by April 12, while the technical and logistical details will be finalised on Sunday.
The action plan prepared by the Secretariat is based on the proposal submitted to the government by the Nepal Army in February. It states that the Army can offer 72 majors, 126 captains and 81 lieutenants while integrating a maximum of 6,500 combatants.
The Army has suggested that combatants in the rank of company commander and above can be given the rank of a major, while the company vice-commanders can be made captains and platoon commanders given the rank of lieutenants. “Maoists are demanding that even junior commanders be given those ranks,” a secretariat member said.
NC and UML leaders believe that the number of combatants opting for integration will come down to 5,000 to 6,000 once they get an opportunity to revise their interests. Maoist leaders say the number will come down, but will be around the 6,500 ceiling set by the seven-point deal.
The plan states that combatants choosing integration will move from cantonments to the integration centres to be established by the Army. It recommends that the Army make technical and logistical arrangements, including food and accommodation, for the combatants until the screening process completes.
Source: Kantipur
