"Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal has assured that the PLA guards and their weapons would be returned to the cantonments within a week,” said Nepali Congress (NC) leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat who is a member of the Special Committee.[break]
The prime minister made such a commitment in response to the directive of the parliamentary committee, formed to monitor the implementation of the five-point deal, to end the PLA security to party leaders within a week.
“In the meeting, we stated what we had already decided in our Central Committee. The PLA security guards will go back to their cantonments once the government makes an alternative arrangement,” said Maoist leader Barshaman Pun, who represents his party in the Special Committee.
Maoists had agreed to end the PLA security for its leaders during a Special Committee held immediately after the second extension of the Constituent Assembly (CA).
While the party factions led by Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai had returned the PLA guards as per the decision, the hardline faction led by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya refused to do so accusing Dahal of surrendering to the “regressive forces.”
More than two dozen armed PLA security guards in the service of the party hardliners are yet to return to the cantonment.
NC leader Mahat stated that such commitments were made by the Maoists time and again in the past, but were never implemented. “There is no meaning in making commitments that are never implemented,” Mahat said.
The Special Committee on Thursday also decided to take the peace process forward by forging consensus on the number and standard norms of integration and rehabilitation packages.
The major parties are yet to begin serious talks on the integration process though the prime minister has already threatened to resign if the parties fail to strike a concrete deal on the issue.
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