According to Maoist representative on the committee Barshaman Pun, a meeting of the Special Committee on Wednesday took a decision to this effect in line with the January 15 three-point agreement between the government and the UCPN (Maoist).[break]
The six-member mechanism will have three representatives each from the Special Committee and its secretariat.
However, the name of the persons to be represented in the mechanism was not made public after Madhesi parties objected to the formation of such a mechanism as it has no representative from Madhes-based parties represented on the Special Committee, according to a source. One leader each from three Madhes-based parties -- Madhesi People´s Rights Forum -Democratic (MPRF-D), Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF) and Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) -- are represented in the Special Committee.
Currently, UCPN (Maoist), NC and CPN-UML have two representatives each in the mechanism.
“We are concerned as there is no representative from Madhes-based parties in the mechanism,” said JP Gupta, a Special Committee member representing Madhesi People´s Rights Forum, after a meeting on Wednesday morning. “We should have representation in the mechanism,” said Gupta.
The meeting of the Special Committee was supposed to give a final shape to the mechanism that will take over the responsibility of the JMCC that was in existence until UNMIN´s presence.
Following objection from the Madhes-based parties, the Special Committee has authorized Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to address their demand.
Stating that talks were being held on demand of the Madhes-based parties, Pun said the mechanism will have its office at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
The Special Committee also formed a three-member committee to make necessary arrangements for the Saturday´s cantonment handover program to be held at the Shaktikhor cantonment in Chitwan. The program will be held at 11 am.
The committee comprising Home Minister Bhim Bahadur Rawal, Maoist leader Barshaman Pun and Nepali Congress leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat will work out the details and the security arrangements for the program.
Pun said top leaders of the parties represented in the Special Committee will attend the program. Besides, representatives of the UN Security Council member states in Kathmandu and diplomatic missions that have been supporting the peace process will also be invited to attend the handover ceremony.
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