KATHMANDU, MAY 5: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has stated that Nepal´s peace process is in a "critical juncture" because of non-implementation of commitments related to the peace process and fast-approaching May-28 deadline to write the new constitution.
In his report to the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday, the chief of the global body stated that disagreements over integration and rehabilitation, certain key aspects of a new constitution and power sharing has led to a political stalemate in Nepal. [break]
"These appear to be compounded by mutual mistrust, insufficient political will and weak mechanisms for the implementation of past agreements," Ban said in his 12-page report on Nepal´s peace process.
"Only adherence to existing commitments and a negotiated political settlement will offer a satisfactory outcome for the future of the country. I call on political leaders to redouble their efforts in this regard," Ban added.
Ban has urged the government and political parties to remove without delay the remaining political impediments and to take concrete steps towards the fulfillment of commitments on the basis of clear benchmarks and timelines and through a structured process of consultation and dialogue.
Ban has also expressed displeasure against the government for not sending a request for extension of UNMIN tenure even hours before the meeting of the UNSC. The UNSC is meeting on Thursday night and is supposed to take a decision on extending UNMIN´s mandate beyond May 15 if government requests so.
"Should the Government of Nepal, in consultation with the parties, request an extension of the mandate of UNMIN, I would recommend that the Security Council respond positively," he said in the report.
Though some progress, such as discharge of the disqualified combatants and formation of the high-level political mechanism, were made during his reporting to the UN Security Council in January, no substantive forward movement was made on main outstanding tasks of peace process since then, he said.
By main outstanding tasks, he has referred to the future of Nepal Army and Maoist combatants and drafting of the new constitution by the deadline of May 2010.