During a meeting of three major parties -- the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML -- held at Singha Durbar on Monday afternoon, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal proposed extension of UNMIN´s term till the constitution promulgation deadline. [break]
Dahal argued that the extension was necessary as it was difficult to accomplish the management of cantoned combatants within the UNMIN´s current term, which is expiring on January 15, 2011. He maintained that UNMIN´s departure before the management the cantoned combatants would bring unnecessary hassles to the parties in reaching new agreements related to the peace process.
Earlier, the Maoist standing committee meeting had decided to seek extension of UNMIN´s term.
However, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML opposed the Maoist proposal. The two ruling parties said there was no point in extending UNMIN´s term now as UN has already decided to close the mission from January 15, 2011.
The UN Security Council decided to close its political mission in Nepal as per the agreement reached between the government and the Maoists on November 13, 2010 to ask UNSC to extend UNMIN´s term for one last time only.
Though the letter sent by the government categorically said that four-month extension beginning September 15 was the last extension of the UNMIN´s term the Maoist were silent about this in their own letter to the UNSC.
Responding to the Maoist proposal, NC parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Paudel said at the meeting that the parties would rather discuss forming a new mechanism as UNMIN´s replacement as the UN has already decided to close its mission. "Let´s discuss how we can accomplish the tasks that are currently being done by UNMIN after its departure," a leader present at the meeting quoted Paudel as saying.
UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal and Home Minister Bhim Rawal agreed with Paudel over UNMIN´s term. They also asked the Maoist leadership not to talk about extending UNMIN´s terms as the Maoists had written to the UN three months ago that it would be the ´last´ extension of UNMIN´s term.
Talking to journalists after the meeting, NC leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said his party was not against the idea of UNMIN´s presence in Nepal. "All we have said is that the existing mandate of UNMIN needs to be revised," he said, adding, "Nepal Army no longer needs to be kept under UNMIN´s supervision in the changed context."
During the meeting, Maoist Chairman Dahal had said that Maoist plan to bring all cantoned combatants under direct control of Special Committee through a formal ceremony was thwarted in the absence of a functioning government. He argued that formation of new government should be given priority to address issues related to the peace process.
According to UML General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel, who was present at the meeting, the three-party meeting was put off for Wednesday afternoon as demanded by the Maoists. The Maoists proposed to hold one-on-one talks among the three parties on Tuesday to arrive at consensus on forming a new government.
Maoist propose to convert special session into regular session
At a time when ruling parties are bent on foiling the Maoist proposal at the special session and summoning a regular House session, the Maoists have proposed converting the special session into a regular session, according to NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi.
During the three-party meeting, Maoist Chairman Dahal made the proposal arguing that Interim Constitution does not specifically mention about special session as such and that the only difference is that special session is summoned at the request of parliamentarians and not of the government.
Chairman Dahal maintained that they would better convert the special session into regular session through consensus among political parties.
PM asks Maoists to vote for Paudel
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has asked the Maoists to vote for the lone candidate for prime minister, Ram Chandra Paudel, whereas Maoist Chairman Dahal said a new government needs to be formed urgently to expedite the peace process including integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants before UNMIN´s departure.
According to an NC leader, Prime Minister Nepal asked the Maoists to allow Paudel to become prime minister for a few months. He argued that electing new prime minister through a fresh process after scrapping Paudel´s candidacy could take a long time.
The prime minister´s suggestion comes against his party´s central committee decision to vote against Paudel to start fresh process to elect a new prime minister.
However, both the Maoists and UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal appeared least interested in the prime minister´s proposal. Maoist Chairman Dahal, instead, suggested holding separate talks among the Maoists, NC and the UML on Tuesday to arrive at consensus on forming new government.
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