Bad decision

In the interest of the peace process, the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) must explain the rationale behind reappointing their chairman as the supreme commander of its army. Surely, this is one among the many recent events that have come to affect the peace process which lurches from one precipice to another. It also questions the party’s sincerity over an issue – civilian supremacy – on which they have put such a premium, a premium so high that they chose to quit the government.



For the record, the Maoist army is no longer under the party. Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal himself admitted so during the army’s anniversary in February. He had rightly said then that the Maoist army is under the Army Integration Special Committee (AISC). The Maoist combatants receive monetary support from the state, not the party. After Dahal became the prime minister on August 15, he had announced relinquishing his position as supreme commander of the Maoist army and soon after, one of the deputy commanders, Nanda Kishor Pun, was named the commander. Besides Dahal, all the Maoists who got elected as Constituent Assembly members followed suit.



The reason why Dahal and others quit their military positions is as valid today as it was nearly a year ago. For the sake of peace, the Maoists then took a much-appreciated decision. Their latest action not only bolsters the suspicion of those who have doubted the Maoists’ commitment to peace process and various agreements that are a part of it but also has the potential to derail the peace process, an integral part of which is writing the constitution. Being the head of a political party as well as an army may have been practical for the Maoists during insurgency. But the arrangement severely complicates the existing precarious state of the peace process. This also undercuts the Maoists’ demand to retain Dahal as coordinator of the AISC. He simply cannot head an army and, at the same time, be the head of a body (which includes representatives of other parties) that is going to take a final decision on the future of the Maoist combatants. So, Dahal must relinquish the position of supreme commander.



Indeed, an amicable settlement to the thorny issue of the future of verified combatants living in the cantonments will go a long way in clearing hurdles to long-lasting peace and writing an all-inclusive constitution. The sooner the Maoists and other political parties agree on integration and rehabilitation of the combatants, the better it will be for all. An early settlement will also pave the way for the government to import weapons that has been stalled right since 2005. (Currently, any import of weapons will be against various agreements of the peace process.) Hence, we call upon the Maoists, other political parties and the government to desist from actions that imperil the peace process.

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