The discharge process, according to the plan, will be completed within 40 days.[break]
"This is the third effort in regard to discharging the disqualified combatants. With this agreement today at the high political level, I hope that the process will be completed this time," said Minister for Peace Rakam Chemjong at the agreement signing ceremony at the UN House.
The discharge process was stalled after the Maoists differed on the rehabilitation package offered by the UN and the government, demanding cash support for the combatants.
"But there will be no cash hand out in lump sum [as rehabilitation packages]," said Robert Piper, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nepal.
The action plan has three components: discharge, verification and monitoring and rehabilitation. It has proposed education, vocational training, health training and business training as rehabilitation package.
The action plan has also envisioned a mechanism of UN-led team to monitor the rehabilitation of the disqualified for six months. Maoists are required to ensure confidential access to this mechanism to any areas it wants to visit at any time. Besides, a normal Security Council resolution monitor and reporting mechanism will also be in place to gather information though it will have privileged access, according to Coomaraswamy.
Joint Secretary at the Peace Ministry Sadhu Ram Prasad Sapkota singed on the plan on behalf of the government while Maoist commander Saral Sahayatri Poudel represented UCPN-M in the agreement. Besides, Piper and UNICEF representative Gillian Mellsop singed on the action plan on behalf of the UN Country Team.
Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Peace Minister Chemjong, visiting Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict Radhika Coomaraswamy and UNMIN Chief Karin Landgren witnessed the signing.
"It [the signing of the action plan] has created more conducive environment, broken the deadlock in the peace process," said Dahal, while addressing the signing ceremony. "Today´s agreement shows our full commitment to the peace process and constitution."
Talking to Republica over phone, Chemjong said the plan has made UCPN-M sole responsible for the discharge of 4,008 combatants disqualified by UNMIN in 2007. The disqualified comprise 2,973 minors while remaining are late recruits.
According to the action plan as shared by Chemjong with Republica, the Maoists are required to ensure immediate and orderly discharge of the disqualified. It further says that the Maoists must cooperate not to obstruct the rehabilitation of the disqualified.
The action plan has also envisioned a mechanism of UN-led team to monitor the implementation of the action plan and rehabilitation of the disqualified for six months. Maoists are required to ensure confidential access to this mechanism to any areas it wants to visit at any time. Besides, a normal Security Council resolution monitor and reporting mechanism will also be in place to gather information though it will have privileged access, according to Coomaraswamy.
Similarly, the Maoists have also agreed in the action plan to guarantee freedom to the disqualified to choose their areas of return or settlement and occupation. Sources said the provision has been mentioned in the action plan, fearing that the Maoists may force the disqualified to join their party after the discharge.
The plan further says that the Maoists will be held responsible for breaching any commitment in it.
According to the plan, all the disqualified combatants will be gathered in seven cantonments where they will have to discard their combat dress and wear civilian clothes to be supplied by the UN Country Team. Then they will be sent to their respective homes in a group of 50, said a source. The persons to be deployed by the UN will do profiling of the disqualified. The UN will then monitor these combatants within six months.
When asked whether the disqualified combatants can join any paramilitary organizations and join politics after their discharge, Coomaraswamy said the "purpose of the discharge is to remove them from the command and control structure of the military structure."
The UN said that the signing of the action plan on discharge has revived the peace process. "We hope it will encourage other steps to unlock the current political stalemate," said UNMIN Chief Karin Landgren.
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