As per the proposal, all the 19,550* combatants will be offered different rehabilitation packages and incentives like joining the politics, voluntarily retirement or rehabilitation in the society. Then the remaining combatants will be considered for integration on the basis of "standard norms" that will be determined by the committee to join national security forces. [break]
Maoist representatives in the committee Barsha Man Pun and Janardan Sharma floated the proposal in its meeting on Sunday as a possible way out to the deadlock over the number of combatants to be integrated.
"We proposed this modality to end the controversy over the number of combatants to be integrated," Sharma told myrepublica.com.
Peace Minister Rakam Chemjong said the management of the combatants is likely to go ahead under this model and it will also resolve the controversy over the number.
Maoists have publicly argued that around 15,000 combatants should be integrated but other parties in the government have put this number at 3,000. Alternatively, the non-Maoist parties have said that the number should be equal to the number of Maoist arms registered by the United Nations Mission in Nepal. The registered number of arms is 3,475.
The committee also took up the Maoist proposal and directed its technical committee headed by former Lieutenant General Bala Nanda Sharma to prepare the packages within three days.
As per the proposal, all 19,650 combatants will be offered to choose different rehabilitation packages and incentives. Then the remaining combatants will be considered for integration on the basis of "standard norms" to join national security forces.
"I think, the packages will involve small businesses and collective farming. This may also include cash incentives," Chemjong said about the likely rehabilitation packages for the combatants.
"But those who want to be integrated are required to meet the established norms," Chemjong added.
Spokesperson for the committee and Chief Secretary Madhav Ghimire said the committee has directed the technical committee to prepare a proposal on the standards that should be considered while integrating the combatants.
The technical committee is required to prepare the proposal as soon as possible in the letters and spirit of clause 2.2.3 of the Agreement between the Political Parties to Amend the Constitution and Take Forward the Peace Process signed on June 25, 2008.
The provision says that the verified Maoist combatants who choose integration will be deemed eligible for possible integration if they meet the standard requirements.
This is the first time the special committee has taken up its agenda after failing to enter into the agenda of combatants´ management in a number of its meeting due to differences between the Maoist and the non-Maoist parties.
"Today we felt a different ambiance in the meeting. We found Maoists coming with open mind in today´s [Sunday] meeting. It has raised our hope for progress in management of the combatants," said a committee member about his impression of the Maoists in the meeting and the proposal.
kiran@myrepublica.com
* corrected.
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