According to the prime minister the Maoists want up to four to five thousand combatants integrated. According to him, NC President Girija Prasad Koirala is for integrating about 3,000 former rebels. [break]
"Citing previous understanding reached with Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Koirala has held opinion to agree on 3,000 combatants. But Maoists are insisting on increasing the number to four to five thousands," Nepal said in a meeting of the State Affairs Committee of the parliament on Sunday.
Nepal and Koirala also discussed the matter on Sunday as well. "Also today, Koirala reiterated that the issue should now be resolved by agreeing on the said [3,000] number," Nepal said.
He informed the lawmakers that the government has prepared a 60-day plan on integration. He said the government has planned to conclude the integration task prior to the deadline for promulgation of new constitution, which is just 96 days away.
- Maoists want four to five thousand combatants integrated
- Maoists demand putting imported arms under UN vigil
- PM blames Dahal for vacant constitutional bodies´ posts
"Earlier, we had prepared a 102-day plan for the same. Now, we have come up with a 60-day timeline for this, as we have less time," he explained.
Altogether 19,602 verified Maoist combatants are staying in UN-monitored cantonments for the last three years. However, the government is suspicious that a large number of fighters might have already deserted the cantonments.
Arms import draws Maoist flak
In the meeting, Maoist lawmakers came down heavily on the prime minister for importing arms and other logistics for Armed Police Force (APF) on Saturday. Maoist Spokesperson Dinanath Sharma accused the government of violating the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA). He said the government was planning to crush the Maoists.
The prime minister said the arms import was not against the CPA at all. "No provision of the CPA prohibits the Nepal Police and APF from importing arms and logistics needed for their regular operation and training," he said, requesting the Maoists not to be too skeptic toward the government´s decision.
Maoist lawmakers Sharma and Top Bahadur Rayamajhi demanded that the imported arms be kept inside the containers under UNMIN supervision.
Maoists blamed for impasse in constitutional bodies
In the meeting, the prime minister said the government was failing to appoint members in the vacant posts of constitutional bodies including the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Office of the Auditor General, Public Service Commission and Election Commission due to the non-cooperation from the main opposition party.
He said the government was all set to appoint the members but it failed to do so as opposition leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal never appeared in the meeting of the Constitutional Council (CC), the body entrusted with recommending names for appointments in constitutional bodies.
"The government wants to appoint the members at the earliest. I have frequently requested Dahal to attend the meeting but he is not ready. There is no other reason for the delay in this matter," he added.
He said he is helpless and bound by the law. According to CC Act, six members of the seven-member council must be present for the quorum. "If this parliamentary committee gives a directive to the government to amend such a provision, I am also ready to take an initiative toward that end," he said.
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