“Maoist will not do anything against the peace process,” party spokesperson Dina Nath Sharma said after the standing committee meeting. “We will talk with UNMIN this evening or tomorrow on the issue of combatants participating in plenum.”[break]
Sharma also added that Maoist combatants participating in the plenum are participating as the members of the party’s state committees. “They will not participate as combatants,” he added. “But we will only move forward if there is no objection from UNMIN and other parties.”
UNMIN on Thursday objected to participation of Maoist combatants saying that attending political programs by them is against agreements related to the peace process.
The UN political mission, which is responsible for monitoring ex-combatants in the cantonments, wrote an objection letter to Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Maoist had planned to have over 1,000 ex-combatants in the plenum beginning Sunday.
Two other major political parties, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, have also objected the participation.
The two parties have argued that the combatants should not participate in any political activity if they aspire to be considered for integration and rehabilitation under the ongoing peace process.
But leaders close to Dahal have defended the combatants´ participation, saying that participation will help the combatatns understand their proposed integration and rehabilitation better and thus facilitate the process of their management.
No observers in plenum
The standing committee also decided not to facilitate any observers in the plenum, Sharma said.
When asked about whether political papers of vice-chairmen Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Mohan Baidya would be presented in the plenum, Sharma said that the issue would be discussed in the Saturday’s standing committee meeting to be held in Gorkha.
The top three Maoist leaders - Dahal, Baidya and Bhattarai -- are presenting separate political documents at the sixth plenum. Some leaders have however said that only Dahal´s paper will be presented in front of 5,500 party cadres.
On Sunday morning, the central committee of the party will also hold a meeting in Gorkha, Sharma added.
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