Dahal seeks parties' flexibility on integration

KATHMANDU, Feb 19: A day after the Nepal Army reaffirmed its commitment to the November-1 seven-point agreement on integration of the Maoist combatants, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal asked senior UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal to help make UML flexible especially on the ranks to be given to the combatants.



Dahal on Sunday met Nepal at the later´s residence at Koteshwar and sought Nepal´s help to convince other parties to be flexible on integration and especially on the ranks to be given to the combatants, according to a source privy to the meeting. [break]



In the 45-minute meeting, Dahal sought "positive support" from the UML and NC for the integration of the Maoist combatants saying that he wanted to complete the integration as soon as possible despite problems within his party.



In response, Nepal asked Dahal to come up with a "concrete" proposal identifying the Maoist party´s genuine difficulties vis-à-vis the integration.



"Nepal urged Dahal to come up with a concrete proposal detailing the difficulties of the Maoist party regarding integration. He further told Dahal that other parties could discuss genuine concerns of the Maoist party, if any," the source said.



Coincidently, Dahal´s request to Nepal has come a day after Nepal Army made it clear that it will prepare a plan for integration as per the November 1 [2011] peace agreement among major parties while reiterating that the integration will be done as per the army´s standard norms. The national army was compelled to make public its position on integration after its "flexible" plan shared with Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai drew concerns from President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML.



Nepal also asked Dahal not to create any new controversy over the issue of rank, which was settled in the November 1 agreement, stressing the need for collaboration for maintaining professionalism and impartiality of the national army, said a statement issued by Nepal´s aide Bishnu Rijal after the meeting.



During the meeting, Nepal also asked Dahal to stop making "unnecessary interventions" in Nepal Army´s affairs and work for peace and stability in the country.



Dahal also discussed forming a national consensus government and told Nepal that the Maoist party would agree to a rotational prime ministerial system. He also reiterated that Nepali Congress could lead such a government first. But Nepal suggested to Dahal that it would be better to concentrate all the efforts for completing the peace process instead of changing the government.

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