A meeting of the two opposition parties held at UML´s Parliamentary Party Office in Singha Durbar Saturday evening also expressed concern over conflicting remarks made by senior Maoist leaders on the management of Maoist combatants. [break]
A statement issued by the two parties at the end of the meeting also says that they will hold separate meetings with the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) and various 16 fringe parties on Sunday to forge a common position on the issue and to chart out a future course.
"Recent remarks [on management of combatants] from Maoist leaders go against the spirit of agreements reached in the past. We have serious reservations over such remarks. The Maoists should implement the seven-point agreement. They cannot go against the agreements they signed in the past," said senior NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba after the meeting.
As per the seven-point agreement reached on November 1 and the six-point agreement reached November 29, the Maoist combatants should have already vacated the cantonments following their categorization based on their choice of voluntary retirement or integration.
"We discussed the current stand-off with regard to expediting the peace process. Both Nepali Congress and the UML have expressed serious concern and worry over the stand-off," said UML leader Bhim Rawal.
The two parties have concluded that progress in the peace process has remained stalled for the last one month.
"The peace process has come to complete halt. Neither have the issues related to integration nor has voluntary retirement of combatants moved ahead. The UCPN (Maoist) and the government leadership are mainly responsible for this," said NC leader Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, who is a member of the Special Committee meant for expediting integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants.
Dr Mahat argued that the Maoist combatants choosing voluntary retirement should immediately go into retirement and those choosing integration should come under the Nepal Army right away, as per the agreements reached in the past. "The Maoists cannot make any excuses over this," he further said.
The two parties expressed concern over the remarks of senior Maoist leaders that they would not expedite integration and voluntary retirement of the combatants unless other parties, including the NC, agree to a popularly-elected presidential system of governance in the new constitution.
They have also concluded that the Maoists have raised the issue of rank harmonization as a ploy to obstruct the peace process.
According to a joint statement signed by NC President Sushil Koirala and UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, the meeting also expressed concern over attempts by the Maoists to revive various contentious issues already settled by the Dispute Resolution Sub-Committee, which is headed by Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal himself. They alleged that the government had unilaterally taken decision on various contentious issues related to the peace process, bypassing the Special Committee.
NC President Sushil Koirala, Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel, General Secretary Prakash Man Singh, Dr Mahat and Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, K P Sharma Oli, Ishwor Pokharel, Bhim Rawal and Bam Dev Gautam from UML participated in the meeting. Senior NC and UML leaders had held a separate meeting earlier in the morning.
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