"The special committee (for the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants) should visit the cantonments and ask each combatant whether he or she opts for social integration or a political life on the one hand or the rehabilitation packages on the other. Similarly, the number of the combatants rendered disabled in combat should be deducted from the integration number and the rest should be integrated into state forces," said Maoist Vice Chairman Narayankaji Shrestha while making public the party´s proposal on the contentious issues of integration and rehabilitation of combatants, on Saturday. [break]
The Maoists were supposed to present the proposal at a three-party meeting Saturday, but they made it public at a press conference after the meeting was postponed for Sunday.
The Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML have stated that they cannot support a Maoist-led government without settling the issue of integration and rehabilitation of the combatants.
According to Shrestha, once the above-mentioned process is completed, the number of combatants to be integrated into the state forces should be kept in separate camps.
He said the norms for the combatants´ integration should not be determined by the standard norms for recruitment into state forces. "The norms for integration should be determined through consensus," said Shrestha.
He argued that the most viable option would be to set up of a separate state force by including the combatants. The party has stated that the integration process could be completed before the promulgation of a new constitution.
On the YCL question, the Maoists have stated that they are ready to begin the process of de-barracking the YCL immediately.
On the question of public and private properties seized during the insurgency, the party said it has already returned most such properties and that the party is ready to form all-party committees at local levels to investigate the property cases and implement the decisions.
But the Maoist party clarified that the state should protect the rights of tillers through a revolutionary land reforms program.
The party has demanded the formation of a Maoist-led government to complete the process.
Maoists have also proposed term extension for UNMIN saying that the peace process cannot be completed within the remaining two months.
The party has also demanded that Rs 1 million, instead of Rs 100,000, be provided to Maoist martyrs´ families as compensation. Shrestha said the state has discriminated against the Maoist martyrs´ families by providing them Rs 100,000 each while providing Rs 1 million to the families of those killed by the Maoists.
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