PLA integration: Major parties closer; but progress still uncertain
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KATHMANDU, AUG 22 -
While major parties are inching ‘closer’ in terms of integration and rehabilitation of former Maoist combatants, tangible progress still remains uncertain due to differences among the parties on power-sharing.
The UCPN (Maoist) and the Nepali Congress, which have staked claim to the leadership of a national unity government, are at loggerheads over the handover of weapons that are with former Maoist combatants. This is likely to deviate discussion on integration and rehabilitation and set up another majority government in place.
Maoist leaders have told opposition leaders that they are ready to complete regrouping of combatants into integration and rehabilitation groups before August 31 and complete it within 10 days of the formation of a new government under their leadership.
“The peace process is no longer a major bone of contention,” Janardan Sharma, a Maoist leader of the prime minister-led Special Committee,
said. “The deadlock over the peace process will be over once the parties make a new power-sharing agreement.”
NC leader and Special Committee member Ram Sharan Mahat said the Maoists cannot be trusted unless they hand over the weapons stored in cantonments to the government and return property seized during the insurgency. “If they need time, we are ready to continue with Jhala Nath Khanal as prime minister for the next few weeks,” Mahat said, adding the Maoists should complete regrouping of their combatants and hand over the weapons to the government to assume the leadership of a new government.
The Maoists are reluctant to hand over the weapons until the combatants are categorised into integration and rehabilitation after resolving contentious issues including the integration modality, norms, numbers and ranks and rehabilitation and voluntary retirement packages to be offered to the former combatants. In recent months, the major parties have significantly narrowed down differences over these contentious issues.
Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and PM Khanal last week struck an informal understanding to integrate 7,000 former combatants by forming a new directorate in the Nepal Army. The Madhav Nepal and KP Oli factions of the UML still argue that the number of combatants should not exceed 5,000.
Some NC leaders including Arjun Narshing KC have gone on record saying that the party can accept integration of up to 6,500 combatants. NC’s formal decision on the numbers is 4,000, but party leaders say they could be flexible if Maoists make concessions on rank determination and norms.
Top leaders of the big three parties have also reached an understanding to confer some senior ranks to combatants through a political decision.
Other junior officers’ ranks would be distributed by evaluating the performance of individual combatants during the bridging training to be imparted by a technical panel that would comprise representatives of the Nepal Army, the Maoists and experts.
The Maoists have been demanding a post of a brigadier general, to which the UML is open for discussions, while the NC sticks to its position that none of the combatants should be given senior ranks unless they meet the NA’s requirements.
The Maoist Standing Committee on Sunday decided that none of the PLA commanders who assume the position of the central committee member in the party would choose integration, indicating that the party was ready for a compromise.
“If the Maoists are really serious about taking forward the process, we can symbolically give them one brigadier general’s post. They should ask the one selected for the post to resign voluntarily after serving for a few months,” said a UML leader involved in intra-party talks. In his peace
process proposal, Khanal had proposed one colonel and two to three lieutenant colonels for the combatants.
A negotiator from the NC said his party can consider offering a few positions of lieutenant colonel, two ranks junior to the brigadier general. NC leaders oppose the Maoist claim of officer positions in proportion to their representation in the directorate, which according to leaders was likely to include 11,000-13,000 personnel.
The directorate would include 35 percent personnel from the Army, 35 percent from the combatants and 30 from either Madhesi, women or marginalised groups or from other security forces. Another option is to include 55 percent from the Army and 45 percent from the combatants. If the number to be integrated exceeds the ceiling of the directorate, the remaining ones could be sent to the Armed Police Force, a leader said.
One of the contentious issues is the unit-wise integration of the combatants in the Army. The Maoists are ready to accept the entry of combatants in the new directorate under an individual basis, but have said they should be kept under a common unit after the completion of the bridging training. The UML is in favour of integration on an individual basis and collective stay during the training. NC leaders insist that the combatants should be scattered in different units of the new directorate after they are enrolled on an individual basis.
The Maoists have some reservations on the proposed mandate of the directorate—a) development activities at the national level; b) forest security; c) industrial security; d) disaster rescue and relief operations.
NC leaders say the mandate should be unchanged, while UML leaders are ready to address Maoist concerns by including a sentence in it—”The directorate would also undertake other responsibilities” assigned by the Cabinet. Leaders of the three parties have in principle agreed to make concessions on educational, marital status and age criteria to ensure the integration of rank and files.
“We are advancing closer to consensus. The peace process can now reach an irreversible point if Maoist leaders demonstrate honesty,” said UML
leader Pradip Gyawali.
The three parties have also continued discussions to provide financial compensation to combatants who opt for rehabilitation or voluntary retirement. Combatants choosing to retire can be handed cash incentives in installments or bond paper.
The Maoists have demanded two types of packages—Rs 1,000,000 for commanders and Rs 700,000 for regular combatants. The UML has said it cannot exceed Rs 800,000. NC members had proposed a package of up to Rs 650,000 for the former combatants.
“The issues of modality, numbers, rank and rehabilitation packages, among others, are interlinked. We will reciprocate if the Maoists show flexibility and come up with rational proposals,” said a negotiator from NC.
Big Three’s positions on crucial issues
Maoists NC UML
Modality Directorate in NA Directorate in NA Directorate in NA
Numbers 7,000 -8,000 4,000-6,000 6,000-8,000
Rank Brigadier General Lieutenant Colonel Colonel
Rehabilitation 700,000 and 1,000,000 450,000-650,000 500,000-800,000
Mandate Combat & border security non-combat flexible on combat
Rank & bridging Course Technical team Technical Team Technical Team
determination
Norms: Concession in education, martial status and age and acceptance of physical fitness required for Nepal Army
No peacekeeping role: Army
Sources in the Nepal Army have said combatants to be integrated in the National Development and Security Directorate will not be entrusted with responsibilities in UN peacekeeping missions. A NA general, according to a source, said the UN does not demand soldiers responsible for road construction or guarding of forests or industrial areas as peacekeepers.
Posted on: 2011-08-22 09:17
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