KATHMANDU, Sept 11: The government on Friday floated a set of six conditions before the UCPN (Maoist) to resolve the deepening controversy over UNMIN´s mandate, indicating that it is ready to accept the current mandate of the UN mission if the Maoists agree to the conditions.
According to an official engaged in drafting the conditions, the first condition is for the Maoists to agree on three documents - code of conduct for Maoist combatants, a plan of action on management of the combatants, and required directives for the management.
Prepared with Maoist consent and participation, all three documents, which are expected to pave the way for beginning the long overdue management of the combatants, are ready for signing. But the Maoists have been refusing to sign, linking it with government formation.
Another conditon says that the Maoists should agree on a date to start the integration and rehabilitation process for Maoist army personnel.
Similarly, the government wants the Maoists to agree to constituting a nine-member secretariat to oversee management of the Maoist combatants once the former Maoist soldiers are brought under the command and control of the Special Committee, and they should also designate a convenor of the secretariat.
Lastly, the government wants the Maoists to agree to addressing the problems that the national army has been facing due to restrictions imposed on recruitment and movements and the ban on purchasing arms and ammunition.
In this connection, Ministers Dr Minendra Rijal and Bhim Rawal held talks with Maoist leaders Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Barsha Man Pun on Friday to reach an amicable understanding.
The government and the Maoists have been engaged in talks since Thursday to end the controversy over another mandate for UNMIN, which has been here since January 2007. The controversy began after the government and the UCPN(M) sent separate request letters to the UN Secretary-General concering UNMIN´s term renewal and mandate. The government wants UNMIN to focus on monitoring of Maoist arms and army while the UCPN-M has maintained that the UN mission should monitor both the national army and its own army personnel.
Minister Rijal said the UCPN (Moist) showed flexibility in the talks Friday. “But an agreement is not in sight,” he said.
But Shrestha said that the government and his party were “very close” to an agreement on sending yet another request to the UN Secretary-General on UNMIN´s term and mandate. The current term of the UN political mission expires on September 15.
“We need an agreement on other contentious issues before we agree to sending a new request,” Shrestha told Republica about the talks with the government.
Shrestha said his party would be ready to agree to all the conditions except the one relating to the Nepal Army.
“We are ready to understand and address the practical problems faced by the army but this should be discussed at a political level,” Shrestha added.
Peace and Reconstruction Minister Rakam Chemjong said the government would be ready to review its position on UNMIN´s mandate if the UCPN (Maoist) accepts the conditions.
“If the Maoists are ready to agree to the conditions in writing, the government will send another request [to the UN Secretary-General] with a mandate for UNMIN to monitor the Nepal Army,” Chemjong said.
DeLisi bats for consensus
US ambassador Scott H DeLisi said on Friday that UNMIN would not be able to operate effectively if the government and the UCPN (Maoist) do not reach consensus on the role of UNMIN.
“Our concern is that without full consensus on that role it will be impossible for UNMIN to continue to operate effectively here,” the US envoy said in a statement.
DeLisi, who along with the British and French ambassadors met the prime minister and the UCPN (Maoist) chairman on Thursday, further said that the core issue constraining completion of the peace process needs to be addressed though the question of UNMIN´s monitoring role needs to be addressed also.
“We hope that the parties will keep their focus on those critical questions and not allow debate over monitoring or UNMIN´s role to keep them from making the hard political choices necessary to fully and finally implement the peace agreement,” he said.
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