The UML leaders also emphasized on the need for fixing the modality of integration and rehabilitation and the number of combatants to be integrated into government forces.[break]
Former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, who also heads the UML talks team, said the peace process became too slow and it needed an impetus.
"There is no meaning of speeding up constitution writing if the peace process does not progress alongside," Nepal told reporters after the bilateral talks with Maoists held at Singha Durbar on Sunday.
When asked what were the things to be done urgently to move the peace process ahead, he said the cantonments monitoring teams need to be deployed immediately. He said integration and rehabilitation package needs to be finalized soon.
"Then the combatants should be allowed to choose between integration and rehabilitation and regrouped accordingly," he explained.
UML leaders at the beginning of the meeting complained that the Maoists were not cooperating with monitors deployment and beginning the regrouping process. However, Maoist leaders refuted the allegation. "We are not against monitors deployment. All we want is that monitors should be deployed in eight main cantonments in the first phase and 21 satellite in the second phase," a leader present at the meeting quoted Maoist leaders as saying.
Maoists had clarified that the work couldn´t go ahead as planned because UML and Nepali Congress (NC) leaders have been insisting on deploying monitors in all 29 cantonments at once. There are no monitors in the satellite camps since UNMIN left Nepal on January 15.
Though no decision was taken on monitors deployment, the leaders agreed to resolve the issue through dialogues in the next round.
The NC and UML leaders are for finalizing the new statute only after concluding the peace process but the Maoists are for taking both the tasks simultaneously.
"We are for taking both the tasks ahead simultaneously and concluding army integration just ahead of the promulgation of the new constitution," said Maoist Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha.
Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who also heads the subcommittee formed to settle the disputes in constitution writing, had urged the UML leaders to remain alert against conspiracies against constitution. "There has been significant progress in constitution making in the recent days so there is a possibility of the new constitution meeting the May 28 deadline. But we all major parties need to stand united against any conspiracies," a leader quoted Dahal as saying.
Cabinet expansion not discussed
Though the UML standing committee meeting formed the talks team primarily to hold talks with other parties for cabinet expansion, Sunday´s meeting didn´t discuss the issue.
"The talks were mainly expected to discuss cabinet expansion, but that didn´t happen today due to time constraint," UML Vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam told Republica. He said they mainly discussed the peace process and briefly statute drafting.
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