POKHARA, June 4: Defense Minister Bidya Bhandari on Thursday said that the Maoist combatants will be managed and rehabilitated, but not integrated into the Nepal Army. [break]
The defense minister said much discussion was yet to take place on integration, even though the interim constitution mentions about the integration. Since managing the PLA combatants is one of the main problems faced by the country, it will be given highest priority by the new government, Bhandari added.
“Maoist combatants will not be integrated into the army. They will be managed and rehabilitated,” the minister told journalists at Pokhara airport on Thursday.
She further said that the process for management and rehabilitation will be determined as per the condition laid in the interim constitution along with the understanding among the political parties.
“The management and rehabilitation will be completed before the new constitution comes into being,” Bhandari said.
Regarding the pay and allowance of the combatants in the cantonments, she said that it will be appropriate to provide the allowances directly to the individuals instead of making the payment in bulk.
“Since the government officials are paid individually, we will follow the same policy to pay the combatants as well,” she said.
Bhandari further said that the Maoists had to leave the government because they tried to take decisions unilaterally.
She, however, added that efforts were on to bring the Maoists into consensus politics.
Bhandari also said that the delay in cabinet expansion was due to the delay in reaching a deal on portfolio sharing among the coalition partners.