KATHMANDU, MAY 05 -
The government has decided to extend the term and mandate of the UN’s special political mission, UNMIN, for another four months (till Sept. 15). The current term expires on May 15.

The decision to this effect was taken by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on Wednesday after discussions with the ruling parties. It was agreed to keep UNMIN’s existing mandate as it is while extending its tenure for the sixth time.

The main ruling partner Nepali Congress pressed for scaling down UNMIN’s monitoring of Nepal Army while extending the UN body’s term. However, under pressure from the main opposition UCPN (Maoist), Prime Minister Nepal decided that UNMIN’s supervision of Nepal Army would continue.

“There was also pressure from the diplomatic community based in Kathmandu that the existing mandate of UNMIN should not be scaled down,” said a government official on condition of anonymity. During a meeting with the prime minister on Wednesday, French envoy to Nepal Gilles-Henry Garault said the revision of UNMIN’s supervision of the Army may create political trouble. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in November 2006 mentions that both Maoist combatants and the Nepal Army would be kept under UN monitoring.

“The government’s decision is wrong. It is not fair to confine Nepal Army under UN monitoring unnecessarily for such a long time,” the official said adding that the CPA had envisaged the provision to ensure free and fair CA elections.

Meanwhile, a cabinet meeting is scheduled for Thursday to formalise the government’s decision on UNMIN’s term extension. Nepal’s Permanent Mission in New York was instructed on Wednesday to brief the Security Council about tenure extension until Sept. 15. The instruction was dispatched before the cabinet decision.  Nepal’s envoy to UN, Gyan Chandra Acharya, and UNMIN chief Karin Landgren will address the UN Security Council tonight about Nepal’s peace process.


Posted on: 2010-05-06 09:32

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