They have come up with a proposal for concluding the peace process in 12 weeks and a 46-week calendar of events for accomplishing the task of constitution writing.[break]
After finalizing matters among the three leaders, Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal have intensified talks with other parties, including the main opposition Nepali Congress, to get their consent for the proposal.
The prime minister, the Maoist chairman and MPRF Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Upendra Yadav finalized the proposal during a one-hour meeting held at the prime minister´s residence at Baluwatar and then decided to float it for discussion with other political parties.
They have decided to adopt the integration modality proposed earlier by the Nepal Army (NA). The NA has proposed formation of a separate directorate, inducting Maoist combatants and personnel from government security agencies including the NA itself. As per the proposal, the directorate will be under the NA.
"On the number of Maoist combatants to be inducted into security agencies, the leaders have reached an understanding to settle on an agreeable number between six to eight thousand," the prime minister´s press advisor, Surya Thapa, told Republica.
The leaders have also decided to offer a golden handshake package to Maoist combatants who opt for rehabilitation. "They will be given a sum ranging from Rs. 500,000 to 1 million depending on rank in the Maoist army," Thapa said.
According to him, the ruling parties have decided to conclude the task of categorizing the combatants on the basis of those opting for integration and those for the rehabilitation package, within 10 to 15 days after the government´s special committee endorses the proposal.
On setting integration norms, the proposal is for finalizing some issues related to combatant eligibility -- such as age, academic qualification and marital status, through understanding among the major political parties.
On the constitution writing front, the ruling parties have committed themselves to preparing the first integrated draft within one month after extending the Constituent Assembly (CA) term and to promulgating the new constitution within 46 weeks after renewal of the 601-member CA.
The ruling parties decided to intensify bilateral as well as multilateral talks with other political parties to forge consensus over the proposal.
Maoist Chairman Dahal had reached NC President Sushil Koirala´s residence at Maharajgunj directly from Baluwatar to seek the consent of the main opposition party to the proposal.
The prime minister later held a 45-minute meeting with NC parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Paudel, General Secretary Krishna Sitaula and central member Minendra Rijal at Baluwatar. "The leaders emphasized the need for concluding the peace process by consensus after holding further bilateral as well as multilateral talks among the major parties," Thapa said.
Prime Minister Khanal also talked to UCPN (Maoist) Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha and Co-chairman of Nepal Janashakti Party Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani over the matter.
Thapa said the prime minister is also holding talks with UML senior party leaders including former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel and KP Sharma Oli, among others.
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