Discharge of retiring fighters ‘from Friday’
The Maoist leadership has assured the opposition parties that the discharge of former Maoist combatants opting for voluntary retirement will begin on Friday, said senior leaders involved in the negotiation.
UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai have told the Nepali Congress leaders that they will not backtrack from the Special Committee’s decision to bid farewell to 7,365 combatants. The opposition parties had grown warier after some commanders of the Maoist army on Sunday pressed the party leadership to ensure tax exemption in cash package and a certificate from the government to the retiring combatants. Both NC and UML have bluntly rejected the possibility of meeting these demands.
“We are cautious and awaiting implementation of the understanding. The Maoist leadership has told us that the process of retirement would start on Friday,” said a Nepali Congress leader.
Maoist Politburo member Janardan Sharma also confirmed that the process would start soon. However, it was not clear whether the tax exemption and certificate issues could delay the process.
“We are ready to start the process from Tuesday. It is the responsibility of the Special Committee Secretariat to make technical preparations required to start the work,” Sharma said.
The Secretariat is busy opening bank accounts and readying cheques to be distributed to the retiring combatants.
The work will be completed by Tuesday and teams to execute the farewell process will be ready to leave for cantonments by Wednesday or Thursday, said a Secretariat member. The Secretariat had last month formulated an action plan that outlines handover of account payee cheques to combatants, opening bank accounts and completing work in all seven main and 21 satellite cantonments within 15 days.
However, the army integration process is likely to be stalled until there is a fresh agreement among parties on ranks and some other issues. Though November 1 peace deal stipulates that maximum 6,500 combatants will be integrated into the Nepal Army, 9,705 combatants expressed their willingness towards integration during the regrouping process. Maoist leader Sharma said the integration process would commence only after the voluntary retirement process was completed. “To start the integration immediately means obstructing the process. There are issues like ranks and bridging course that should be settled at the political level,” he said.
Nepali Congress leader Ram Sharan Mahat demanded that Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai instruct the NA to start the integration process. “Both integration and voluntary retirement process should move hand in hand. The Maoists cannot do what is beneficial to them,” he said. “They are creating hurdles in each and every step and inclined to bid farewell to combatants because there is cash component,” he said.
Bhattarai has reportedly told NC leaders that combatants opting for integration will be handed over to the Army once the issue of rank is settled at the political level. NC leaders have been arguing that the NA should be allowed to decide on the ranks on completion of the bridging course.
No tax exemption to combatants: NC
Nepali Congress leader and Special Committee member Ram Sharan Mahat on Monday said the combatants choosing voluntary retirement should not be exempted from tax. Mahat’s remark comes a day after Maoist commanders demanded that the party leadership ensure that the cash package worth Rs 500,000 to Rs 800,000 be tax-free. “They are not the creatures from another planet. They should follow the law of land and pay tax like common citizens,” he said.
Posted on: 2012-01-31 08:12
Post Your Comment
Today's Paper
The Kantipur in Print
FROM THE PAST 7 DAYS
ENTER KEYWORD OR DATE
FROM THE PAST 7 DAYS
ENTER KEYWORD OR DATE
Abin
All of them discussed the issue. The result was the same...and we have committed to continue discussions on the issue till midnight.
ADVERTISEMENTS
OUR PUBLICATION :
