During his meeting with Nepali Congress (NC) President Sushil Koirala at the latter´s residence in Maharajgunj Sunday morning, Chairman Dahal said the Maoists are all set to accomplish the task of categorizing the cantoned combatants within a month. “The arms can be handed over the government once we complete categorization of the former combatants,” said a source close to Koirala. [break]
Dahal´s pledge to hand over weapons comes amidst strong opposition from within the party. Maoist leaders from the hard-line camp have maintained that the task of integrating the combatants and handing over of the weapons should go side by side.
In a one-to-one meeting between the two leaders, Dahal assured Koirala that he is committed to taking the ongoing peace process to logical end despite protests from within his party. “I am in favor of taking the peace process to a logical end despite opposition from some leaders in the party,” an NC leader quoted Dahal as saying at the meeting.
President Koirala later briefed his party leaders about his meeting with Dahal. According to an NC central member, Koirala in his briefing said the Maoist chairman was serious towards concluding the ongoing peace process at the earliest possible date.
Koirala during his meeting with Dahal urged the latter to conclude management of arms and cantoned combatants as per the agreements reached in the past. He also pointed out the need for consensus on issues of number, modality and rank-harmonization of the combatants.
In response, Dahal offered to hold a meeting of the three major parties at the earliest to settle the issues. “The Special Committee will try to arrive at consensus on these issues. We can settle the issues at the political level,” Dahal was quoted as saying.
President Koirala also proposed Dahal to lead the new government after concluding the management of arms and combatants and also expressed readiness of his party to join the Maoist-led government formed after concluding the peace process.
Among other things, Koirala also asked the Maoist chairman to make institutional decision from the party to return properties seized during the conflict. Koirala argued the administration could step in if the seized properties not returned by the party cadres even after such an institutional decision from the party.
This is the first meeting between the two top leaders after the five-point deal was reached on May 15 for the extension of the Constituent Assembly term for three months.
Talking to media persons after the meeting, Dahal said they held detailed discussions over the implementation of the five-point deal. He said that they did not discuss resignation of Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal as the talks mainly dwelled on concluding the peace process at the earliest.
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