During a meeting with NC leaders at his residence in Naya Bazar Wednesday evening, Chairman Dahal said his party is committed to concluding the ongoing peace process. Dahal also asked the NC leaders not to assume that the ongoing peace process has already been derailed.
Dahal´s response came after the NC leaders apprised him of the 10-point demand that NC wants to see implemented by May 24. [break]
NC leaders had complained that there has been no substantial progress in the peace process despite several pledges, commitments and agreements from the Maoists.
“We informally apprised the Maoists about our demands. The Maoists have promised us that they would take a concrete decision on peace process through the party´s meeting on Thursday,” said NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi.
The leaders of the two parties are also scheduled to hold a meeting later on Thursday as NC is set to officially submit the party´s stance on peace process to the Maoists after getting it endorsed through a CWC meeting.
NC leaders reiterated that formation of national consensus government after the resignation of Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal is a must for the successful conclusion of the peace process and promulgation of the new constitution. They conveyed the Maoist leadership that conclusion of peace process was their primary agenda brushing aside allegations that NC was bargaining for power in the name of peace process.
NC General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, Nidhi and Dr Minendra Rijal had reached Dahal´s residence to apprise him of the NC´s stance.
NC leaders had demanded that the Maoists agree to depute a joint team comprising serving personnel from government security agencies and Maoists combatants to bring the cantonments practically under the purview of Special Committee and reduce the number of cantonments to seven from the existing 28 main and satellite cantonments by May 24.
NC leaders told the Maoist leadership that the number of combatants to be integrated into the security agencies should not exceed 4,000 as per the understanding reached in the past. NC has also demanded preparation of a calendar of events for the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants.
Besides, the NC has also demanded that the Maoists hand over their weapons, regroup the combatants, end dual security arrangements for the party´s leaders and return the properties seized in the past by May 24. NC has maintained that Maoist should also arrive at a consensus on various contentions issues of constitution drafting to prepare grounds for CA term extension.
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