Act on it now

Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, the other day, claimed before parliament’s State Affairs Committee that Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala and Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had agreed that about 3,000 PLA combatants would be integrated into the security forces. He also said Dahal had, however, requested Koirala that the number should go up to between 4,000 and 5,000. [break]



Prime Minister Nepal also apprised the parliamentary committee that the government had readied a 60-day plan for rehabilitation/integration of the 19,602 Maoists combatants cantoned in seven UN-monitored cantonments.



It was perhaps the duty of the prime minister to inform the parliamentary committee about the progress on PLA integration/rehabilitation. However, isn’t is also true that the parties-- the parties in government and the Maoists-- should have been involved in a substantive dialogue about the modality and numbers for PLA integration/rehabilitation by now instead of making unilateral statements at different forums?



Isn’t it true that the issue should have been effectively resolved by now? Isn’t it equally true that even Maoist Chairman Dahal had promised that the PLA issue would be sorted out within six months after the formation of the Maoist-led government?



The PLA issue is at the heart of the peace process and it is intricately linked to the constitution writing. Unless the issue is addressed amicably neither the peace process nor the writing of the constitution will move ahead.



We wonder what is keeping the parties from beginning negotiations on such a crucial issue since they will have to deal with it sooner or later. Worse, the leaders are making claims and counter-claims and taking positions on such a sensitive issue at public forums but never engage with it when they meet up. This is the best way not to resolve the issue and to stoke the mistrust amongst them.



Just 94 days from the deadline for promulgating the constitution, we once again urge the political leaders to begin substantive negotiations on a while gamut of issues contributing to the current political stalemate.



The strategy of each political party seems to be avoidance -- avoid frank discussion, avoid negotiations -- until May 28 so that everyone will then be hard pressed to negotiate and reach a consensus anyhow. What kind of politics is this where you do nothing until the eleventh hour and strike a shoddy deal at the very end?



Since they will have to deal with it anyway why not do it today when they still have some time to put their heads together? Why always wait till the last minute and do a poor job of it?

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