KATHMANDU, March 3: Nepali Congress on Tuesday raised serious objection to the Maoist People’s Liberation Army’s announcement to start fresh recruitment drive.
“Statement of the commander of a group, which is already under a committee comprising major political parties, is objectionable as well as against the basic principles of discipline,” said NC Vice-President Ram Chandra Poudel at a press conference at Singha Durbar.[break]
Poudel said the statement of the commander has exposed the Maoists’ pro-war mentality and attempt to present its combatants in parallel with the national army.
“Their dilly-dallying in convening the special committee meeting and making such statements shows that the Maoists are using the peace process as a tool to accumulate strength [for further assaults],” said Poudel in a statement distributed at the conference. “So we urged the prime minister to summon the Army Integration Special Committee meeting immediately.”
Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala has raised the issue seriously during his meeting with prime minister who heads the AISC, according to Poudel. Nepali Congress central-level leaders had held an informal meeting Monday to discuss current political issues. "The prime minister has said he would immediately take up the issue with PLA commanders," said Poudel.
The meeting decided to ask the prime minister to summon winter session of the parliament by March 28. “As we believe in transparency in governance and consultation with all the political forces on major national issues, we have demanded the session,” said Poudel.
The main opposition party also criticized the government decision to declare 7,000 people as martyrs. “It is arbitrary decision to benefit Maoist cadres,” said Poudel.
He claimed the Maoists are bent on rewarding their cadres by not implementing previous government decision to provide Rs 150,000 to the families of the 13,000 people killed during the Maoist insurgency. “What is the basis for selecting only 7,000 martyrs?” he questioned.
NC also protested the Maoist-led government’s “unilateral decisions” to pass new laws and initiate the process for setting up a new commission related to peace process. “Nepali Congress does not accept such decisions made without prior consensus with political parties,” party statement said.
The NC also questioned transparency of the money spent from state coffers in the name of unemployment allowances and literacy campaign. It also condemned “politicization” of the bureaucracy by the Maoist government.