Why PM floated disputed proposal

KATHMANDU, March 15: Though Tuesday´s Special Committee meeting, which was convened after a gap, had been expected to at least end the deadlock over commencing the integration process, it failed to do so as it was presented with an integration proposal that the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML had already objected to.



These two parties said the proposal floated by Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai before the Special Committee Tuesday was against the seven-point agreement reached among the parties on November 1, 2011. [break]



Now a question arises: Why did the prime minister present the Special Committee a proposal the NC and CPN-UML had already rejected?



While floating the proposal, the prime minister did not follow his usual practice of calling a Special Committee meeting only after bringing all the parties on board with regard to the agenda to be discussed at the cross-party mechanism. It now appears he night have floated the controversial proposal Tuesday for at least four reasons.



First, the Maoists and the prime minister have been facing criticism from the main opposition for not pushing the integration process forward. The prime minister might have floated the controversial proposal to show the general public that his government and party were serious about the peace process.



Secondly, the proposal came despite intense negotiations through backdoor channels among the parties in recent weeks. There was some progress in such talks, but the prime minister floated the proposal after learning that an agreement on the integration issue might take longer.



Third, the prime minister´s step also indicates that the Maoist party has no intention of moving ahead in acceptance of the seven-point agreement, and he came up with such a proposal to antagonize the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML.



Fourthly, India is also involved behind the scenes in negotiating integration, but results have been elusive. As all these negotiations are yet to yield any result, the prime minister might have floated his proposal to test where the parties can agree and disagree on integration.



But the prime minister´s political advisor, Devendra Paudel, defends the proposal, saying it should be taken positively and urging NC and the CPN-UML to take it as something floated for actual discussion.



"The proposal is just a preliminary one floated for discussion in the Special Committee," said Paudel, "It should not be taken as something just to show the public."

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