Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, who heads the Special Committee for Supervision, Integration and Rehabilitation of Maoist Combatants, made a proposal to this effect during a meeting held in the presence of top leaders of various political parties, Friday morning. [break]
“The prime minister told leaders that integration should be either on the basis of what Girija Prasad Koirala used to say [integrate 3,000] or on the basis of the number of arms registered during the verification [3,475],” Peace Minister Rakam Chemjong quoted the prime minister as saying at the meeting.
The prime minister also asked the leaders to suggest any alternative for deciding the number of combatants to be integrated into the security agencies, Chemjong said.
Chairman of the main opposition party UCPN (Maoist) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, however, stayed away from the meeting, citing a politburo meeting of the party. NC Acting President Sushil Koirala, UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF) Chairman Upendra Yadav and Chairman of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Mahantha Thakur, among other leaders of parties represented on the special committee, were present at the meeting.
But Dahal said after the politburo meeting that all the combatants should be integrated.
Talking to media persons after the meeting, Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Rakam Chemjong said the government proposed integrating Maoist combatants either on the basis of number of Maoist arms placed in containers or in accordance with a verbal agreement reached between the late Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala and Maoist Chairman Dahal.
The senior leaders had reportedly agreed to integrate 3,000 Maoist combatants into the army.
The proposal presented by the prime minister provides a maximum of Rs 250,000 to each Maoist combatant. This comes in the wake of the Maoists demanding Rs 1.5 million to Rs 2.5 million for each combatant opting for rehabilitation.
The new proposal aims to complete the task of PLA management within 30 days.
UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal said they could not hold comprehensive discussions on the prime minister´s proposal due to the absence of the Maoists. The proposal offers modalities and various alternatives for management of the Maoist combatants.
Khanal said that the parties present at the meeting agreed to the proposal floated by the prime minister. He, however, said the proposal will be finalized only after holding discussions with the Maoists.
NC Joint General Secretary Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said the leaders present at the meeting were unanimous about bringing all the combatants and the cantonments under the command of the Special Committee at the earliest. The meeting also agreed to strictly enforce past agreements on management of combatants.
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