Besides, the secretariat has also asked the government to give a clear instruction on the integration, with a clear decision on the formation of a directorate or a division --whichever is sutitable to accommodate former Maoist combatants after integration-- and to prepare legal arranagements for the integration. [break]
The integration of 3,123 combatants into the Nepal Army, which began on July 6 but stalled after three days due to controversy over the age of some combatants and academic qualifications, among other things. And, the Secretariat prepared the proposal to find a way out to the contentious issues that led the former combatants to halt the much-awaited integration.
The proposal prepared after holding an informal discussion with the Nepal Army and the former commanders of the Maoist party has proposed to recognize the citizenship as the basis of date of birth of former combatants and count their service period from the time they turned 18, according to Balananda Sharma, coordinator of the Secretariat.
The controversy over the age of former combatants arose after the selection committees of the national army found some of ex-combatants were underage at the time of joining the Maoist army.
"If 18 years of age is considered as the entry point [to the Maoist army], it can be acceptable to the ex-combatants as well," Sharma said about the proposal. "If this proposal is accepted, even if former combatants loose their service year [in the Maoist army] before they turned 18 years old, they will get to serve in the army longer."
The former division commanders, in a recent meeting with Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had hinted that they would accept this proposal.
On the issue of academic qualification, the secretariat has proposed that the academic qualification earned by the former combatants after their verification by the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) should not be recognized for the integration purpose.
"Many of the former combatants opted for voluntary retirement after they were told that their academic qualification earned later would not be considered for integration process," said Sharma, "If we change this provision now, we will be adopting two standards in the same project and it will be injustice to those combatants who opted the voluntary retirement."
While stalling the integration process, the ex-Maoist combatants had also complained that their integration into the national army was not "dignified". They had termed their integration as being a regular recruitment on the ground that the standards for a regular recruitment were applied.
"In the fist instance, it is integration because concession on age, education and marital status has been given. Second, the combatants will not be joining the army only at the rank of second lieutenant, they will be integrated in other [higher] ranks as well."
Sharma said that the secretariat has proposed to carry out the selection process in a closed setting so as to protect privacy of those combatants who will undergo through selection process for integration.
In the meantime, the secretariat has also concluded that the integration of the former combatants in other ranks can be completed in 15-20 days while the selection of officers will require one and half months.
"We have proposed the Special Committee to start the process by fixing a specific date," Sharma said, "If the process can not be completed before the festivals, the ex-combatants can be allowed go on leave after their selection and begin their integration after festivals."
In addition, the Secretariat has proposed to offer voluntary retirement package to those combatants who do not pass through the selection process at the cantonment.
The top leaders of the major political parties were supposed to discuss the proposal on Sunday but they did not, concluding that the proposal can be discussed and finalized in the inter-party Special Committee.
"The Special Committee on Monday is taking up the [stalled] integration process," said Nepali Congress representative on the Special Committee Dr Minendra Rijal.
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