KATHMANDU, Feb 23: The ruling Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (Democratic) has proposed integration of the Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army on the basis of weapons possessed by the former rebels. The party took a decision to this effect at the three-day central committee meeting that concluded on Tuesday.
"The universal norm of integrating rebel forces into the national army is made on the basis of weapons: one weapon, one soldier. We reached a decision to this effect on this basis," said party chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, who is also the deputy prime minister in the current government. [break]
The United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) has registered 3475 weapons. "The Comprehensive Peace Agreement has clearly stated that the integration of the combatants will be completed within six months. So the issues should be settled before the promulgation of the new constitution," said party General Secretary Jitendra Dev.
The party has also called on all the political parties to abide by the past pacts and agreements to end the political deadlock. The Madhes-based party has also demanded that the constitution be promulgated as scheduled.
The party also said that the government should activate all the state organs in this regard. The party general secretary argued that the Maoists, Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) would be responsible if the constitution could not be promulgated on time.
He also said that the CA should declare the whole of southern plains as one single province and argued that various sub-provinces could be made inside such single province after consulting the concerned stakeholders.