As the party teeters on the brink of a split, with the hardliners adamant on pressing ahead with their radical agenda, Dahal’s dilemma seems to have finally ended. [break]
After wavering for about five months since the signing of the 7-point peace deal on November 1 last year and having tried out different things -- unsuccessfully seeking Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s resignation to please the hardline faction led by Mohan Baidya, among them -- Dahal has finally decided to take the integration process ahead.
Based on an understanding reached at a meeting held at Baluwatar Thursday afternoon and attended by Chairman Dahal, Prime Minsiter Bhattarai and NC leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula, the Special Committee directed its secretariat to finalize the integration roadmap, including standard norms and procedures, within the next five days.
According to the understanding, a maximum of 6,000 Maoist combatants will be integrated in the Nepal Army. (Though the seven-point deal says that up to 6,500 combatants will be integrated the gentleman’s agreement at that point was that not more than 6,000 would join the army).
The Maoists have also agreed to defer the question of the highest rank that PLA combatants will get in the NA after integration.
As per the agreement, the issue will be taken up once the Nepal Army (NA) completes the individual entry process for the combatants based on its standard norms. The standard norms will be set on the basis of the understanding reached in the seven-point deal.
Once the picture becomes clear how many PLA combatants will qualify to join the NA, the parties, in consultation with the army, will decide the size of the proposed directorate in the NA. It’s only then that the issue of rank will be taken up “if necessary”.
One reason why Maoist Chairman Dahal has tried so strenuously to avoid a split in his party was that he wanted to use the strength of a united party to exact more concessions from other parties.
With party unity now unraveling fast, Dahal has also given up on many of his bargainings.
Besides his bargaining for higher posts for PLA combatants in the NA, Maoist Chairman Dahal also wanted an agreement on system of governance before the integration process began.
As NC and the UML stood firm in their stance that there would be no agreement on constitutional issues unless and until the integration process began, Dahal had sought a broader understanding on constitutional issues, but in vain.
In the end, Chairman Dahal gave up his bargaining. There is no understanding, let alone a deal, on the issue of system of governance or state restructuring.
The only understanding is that the parties will take up the issues related to constitution writing once the integration process begins.
Related story
Let’s live in peace and embrace diversity
