With Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal announcing a 112-day timeframe for the management of the cantoned Maoist combatants, it seems the integration and rehabilitation of the PLA could take the desired course. Prime Minister Nepal has also talked about the transfer of PLA chain of command over to the Special Committee for the Supervision, Integration, and Rehabilitation of Maoist combatants. Pranab Kharel and Biswas Baral met CPN-UML General Secretary Ishwor Pokhrel, one of the party’s two representatives (Prime Minister Nepal being the second one) in the Special Committee. 

The Special Committee has been meeting again after months of stalemate. Could you shed light the recent progress made by the committee?

Pokhrel:  The committee has agreed to take concrete steps towards the supervision, integration, and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants. For instance, the prime minister, who is also the coordinator of the Special Committee, has presented a timeframe of 112 days which almost all parties have agreed to. An important part of the proposed plan concerns the structure of the PLA central command, which is being given the final touches now. As a member of the Special Committee, I am confident the timeframe will be adhered to and that we will be able to conclude the peace process in the stipulated time. But what we should keep in mind is that the peace process is closely associated with the writing of the new constitution. It is also linked to the issue of management of the Maoist combatants. We need not follow the example of any particular country. We have agreed in the Comprehensive Peace Accord and the Interim Constitution that the Maoist combatants will be managed under the committee of the Council of Ministers and it will be done accordingly.

The Maoist combatants are now said to be under the Special Committee supervision. How is the work in progress?

Pokhrel: This is something which had long been agreed upon. In fact, when he was the prime minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, addressing his cadres at a programme, had said that the combatants would no longer be under the party, but under the Special Committee. This was widely been reported in the media as well. This is something that has been agreed politically. While the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction will take care of the management of the cantonments, the Special Committee would deal with the issues of integration and rehabilitation of combatants. There will be a well-managed secretariat to implement the decisions of the Special Committee. There already exists a technical committee to assist the Special Committee in policy related issues.

Different numbers have been floated regarding the number of ex-Maoist combatants who can be integrated into security organs.

Pokhrel: People have been coming up with different numbers. In the plan proposed by the prime minister, it is clearly spelled out that the number of combatants to be integrated would be decided based on the political consensus between the senior leaders of the major parties. With regard to numbers being floated by individual leaders, I have no comments. However, when we have agreed upon a process, why not follow it? There have been reports that Pushpa Kamal Dahal himself had come out with concrete numbers in the past. So the numbers you get to hear these days may be the reflection of the earlier estimates.

The selection criteria for entry into the security apparatus, particularly Nepal Army, seem to be a major bone of contention. Is it?

Pokhrel: We are for following standard norms which are internationally accepted. If some combatants wish to enter the Army, they will have to meet the set criteria. For example, for an officer-level post, one would need to have spent some time in the force or undertaken certain trainings. These criteria will have to be met.

There are contradictory voices emerging from within the government itself on integration. Even the prime minister and the defence minister don’t seem to be on the same terms.

Pokhrel: Both the government and the Special Committee are led by the prime minister. The proposed plans have been moving in a consensual manner in the committee. Decisions of the Special Committee are forwarded to the Cabinet. So when the same person is heading both, there need not be doubts regarding the government’s official position. With regard to the comments of the defence minister, the prime minister has already clarified on the matter in the legislature-parliament. That is the government’s official position. Further, as reported in the media, Army generals including the Chief of the Army Staff have said that they would abide by the government decision. One has to remember that the peace process has reached this point only because the political parties agreed to the politics of consensus. There is no alternative to it.

You say the number of combatants to be integrated will be finalised among the top leaders. What will be Special Committee’s role on this?

Pokhrel: The committee in principle does have the capacity to make decisions on integration. But what happens if the members of the committee have to seek the approval of their respective leaders? Thus, the decisions are best taken at the highest level. Or the representatives in the Special Committee should be given the authority to make important decisions on behalf of their parties.

The prime minister has said that the integration will take place within four months. Is there a consensus in the Special Committee on this?

Pokhrel: All members of the committee are committed to the integration. I find a very positive outlook from all members in this regard. There is a friendly atmosphere in the committee. There has been all-round cooperation to see the prime minister’s plan to fruition.

Are the Maoists and the Nepal Army ready to agree on the terms of compromise?

Pokhrel: The way both the Maoists and the Army have presented themselves, I am hopeful that things will move in a positive direction. But as experience around the world shows, there are always extremists who do not want the process to reach a conclusion. Such elements make noise when the peace process moves in the right direction. There are some extremists in our political scene too.

Recently, there have been calls from the defence minister for the representation of Nepal Army in the Special Committee. How do you view it?

Pokhrel: This is an extreme rightist belief. NA is a part of the government. If someone tries to project it as a separate entity, he or she is merely trying to be provocative. The Army, I believe, is a patriotic force and will abide by the government’s decision.

How has been the relationship between United Nation Mission to Nepal (UNMIN) and the Special Committee?

Pokhrel:  UNMIN is a UN body that is here to assist Nepali actors with the peace process. It should help us implement the programmes prepared by us. Further, it should also help us with feedbacks on the programmes and policies undertaken by Nepal. But UNMIN should not interfere in our independent activities. The government must be happy with what it is doing in Nepal. Otherwise, it would not have asked for the extension of UNMIN’s tenure.

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