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Special Nepal panel begins monitoring of ex-Maoist guerrillas

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Jan 22, IRNA -- A special panel headed by the Prime Minister Saturday took over the task of monitoring the arms and the army of the former Maoist guerrillas and the Nepal military, following the departure of the UN peace mission last week.

Nepal's caretaker government and the main Opposition UCPN-Maoist today agreed on a deal to formally bring the guerrillas of the Maoists' Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) under the monitoring process of the Special Committee after the UN peace mission wrapped up its task on January 15.

Top political leaders, including Prime Minister Madhav Nepal and Maoist supremo Prachanda were among those present to witness the handing over ceremony in Shaktikhor in Chitawan district, one of the seven main cantonments housing the former guerrillas, pti reported.

The Prime Minister and Prachanda signed an agreement to bring the Maoist combatants under the Special Committee -- comprising representatives of major political parties. They agreed to bring the arms and the army of the former rebels and the military, earlier shouldered by United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), under the panel.

The panel will be responsible for monitoring the 19,000 strong Maoist army and their integration and rehabilitation following the departure of UNMIN after a four-year long mission.

The transfer of the Maoist PLA under the the Special Committee is regarded as a landmark step in the 2006 peace process as it will boost the reconciliation effort through the rehabilitation and integration of the former guerrillas.

The caretaker Prime Minister, who is the chairman of the Special Committee, unfurled the national flag and formally declared that the Maoist combatant have been brought under the jurisdiction of the panel.

'You were Maoist cadres a few moments ago but now you are under the command and control of the Special Committee,' the Prime Minister said at the function in southern Nepal.

He said the government was 'committed to integrate the combatants into the army and establish a strong national force with the aim of concluding the peace process'.

'We are committed to complete the peace process through integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist army and to draft a people-oriented constitution,' he said.

He made it clear that while the former rebels were free to pursue politics as a career, they must delink themselves from political parties if they choose to be integrated into the security forces.

'You are free to pursue politics as a career, but if you choose to be integrated into the army you will have to delink yourself from a political party,' he said in a bid to underline that the army must remain apolitical in nature.

He said the political parties were committed to drafting a new constitution and to establish peaceful, prosperous new Nepal.

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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30200553