E-Kantipur

KATHMANDU, APR 16 -

Top leaders of the major political parties other than the main opposition UCPN (Maoist) Friday reached an agreement in principle on the integration of Maoist combatants with the option of two modes.

Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, at a meeting of the Special Committee for the Supervision, Integration and Rehabilitation of Maoist combatants with top leaders of major political parties this morning, floated the proposal for integration —either to taken up 3000 Maoist combatants or to carry out integration on the basis of  one weapon one combatant basis. Leaders attending the meeting reportedly took the proposal positively.

Maoist representatives, however, did not show up at the meeting. The special committee had invited senior leaders from major six parties including the UCPN (Maoist) at the meeting today.

Though the leaders agreed on the prime minister’s proposal, the meeting did not make any decision in this regard.

According to UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, the meeting could not reach any the decision owing to the absence of Maoist leaders at the meeting.

There are altogether 19600 Maoist combatants living in UN-monitored cantonments—seven main and 21 satellite—scattered across the nation. The government has been providing Rs. 5000 monthly salary and Rs 6o daily allowance to each of the combatants. Around 3000 weapons of the Maoist combatants have been locked in the container.

The army integration special committee convened the joint meeting including top political leaders, saying that the army integration is a political issue and the contention should be resolved through a joint meeting.

None of the Maoist leaders showed up for the meting where top leaders of six major political parties were invited. However, the Maoist have been refusing to budge an inch from its  stand that all the combatants should be integrated.

According a source close to PM Nepal, the number of combatants to be integrated in the state army was fixed as per the agreement between the late Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal, Nepali Congress Acting President Sushil Koirala, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum -Loktantrik Chairman Upendra Yadav, Tarai Madhes Loktantrik party chairman Mahanta Thakur, among other leaders, were present at the meeting.

 

Posted on: 2010-04-16 11:21

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