Kathmandu July 31: – Chief of General Staff of the Nepal Army Lt. Gen. Paban Jung Thapa has said integration of Maoist combatants in the security forces should be conditional.
“Personal integrity plays a key role in the reintegration of ex-Maoist cadres into the security forces. People with a clean chit will be considered for recruitment within the framework of the law of the land, that too, as per the stipulated rules and regulations,” the third-in-command of the Nepal Army (NA) said in an interview with the online edition of the Indian newspaper The Hindu. The paper’s online version on Thursday carried a news report based on the interview with the former Force Commander in the UN mission in Sudan. Thapa was on a two-day pilgrimage to the Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati.
Lt. Gen.Thapa said convicts, Army deserters and persons with cases of human rights violation and sedition against them would not be considered for induction into the security forces. The former rebel soldiers could be the part of nation’s border security, industrial security, forest security or the armed police, if not the mainstream Army, stated the report quoting Thapa.
“Before the [reintegration] process begins, we need to have a well-formulated ‘terms of reference’ in place as a benchmark for identifying the candidates,” said Thapa. He has also expressed “surprise” over the registration of around 3,500 weapons from over 19,000 Maoist combatants by the United Nations Mission in Nepal, saying he felt the numbers “don’t really match.”
The NA has opposed the bulk integration of the PLA in the national Army. In a press statement issued in March, Chief of Army Staff Chhatra Man Singh Gurung had said the Army could consider the integration of individual combatants who meet its established standard after a broader political consensus.http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/31/top-story/pla-integration-conditional/319516/
2. Maoists submit commitment letter to SLMP, rejects ‘One Madhes Province’ demand
Kathmandu July 31: The UCPN (Maoist) submitted a written commitment showing dissatisfaction over some of the points among the 16-point concept letter prepared by the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Front (SLMF) on Saturday.
The main opposition party Maoist has rejected the demand of ‘One Madhes, One Province’, saying that it is against the party policy.
The letter mentions, ‘The party is ready for other provinces including autonomous province in the Tarai-Madhes with the right to individual decisions without hampering geographical sovereignty.’
The Madhesi front with the strength of 83 seats in the 601-member Constituent Assembly (CA) could play a decisive role in breaking the deadlock over the prime ministerial race if it agrees to support the single largest party Maoists that has 238 seats. http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/31/top-story/maoists-submit-commitment-letter-to-slmp-rejects-one-madhes-province-demand/319546/
3 .Nemwang meets Dahal
Kathmandu July 31: Constituent Assembly (CA) Chairman Subash Chandra Nemwang held consultation with UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on the ongoing political deadlock and the run-off prime ministerial election on Saturday morning.
The meeting held at Nemwang’s office in Singhadurbar dwelt on the prime ministerial election scheduled for August 2, constitution drafting process, among other contemporary issues.
Also on the occasion, Nemwang expressed his concern over the Maoists attempt to garner majority and the support from other political parties.
Emerging from the meeting, Dahal said, "The nation will get new prime minister on Monday."
The Maoist chairman said Nemwang urged him to forward constitution -writing process by ending the stalemate, whereas he assured Nemwang to end the peace process in two or three weeks. www.ekantipur.com/2010/07/31/top-story/nemwang-meets-dahal/319528/
