(Updated with reactions from Koirala, Nepalese Army and UNMIN at 1251 NST, 0706 GMT)
KATHMANDU, March 3: President of Nepali Congress, Girija Prasad Koirala, lodged on Tuesday his strong protest with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal about the Maoist army´s decision to start fresh recruitment.
In a meeting with PM Dahal, the leader of the main opposition said the PLA (People´s Liberation Army) move would bring the peace process to the brink of collapse and put the constitution-making process in peril. "If this peace process collapses, both you and I will be doomed," a source close to Koirala quoted him as telling the PM. [break]
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- If this peace process collapses, both you and I will be doomed: Koirala to PM
- Army doesn´t give its comments to anything done by anyone: NA
- New recruitment by NA or Maoist army is against past accords: UNMIN
- Recruitment serious threat to peace process: AISC members
- UML´s Bhim Rawal resigns from AISC
The NC leader also suggested Dahal to summon parliament session at the earliest.
In its reaction to the PLA´s fresh call for applications with effective from Tuesday, the Nepalese Army (NA) said the issue is something that needs to be sorted out by the political parties. "Army doesn´t give its comments to anything done by anyone," NA spokesperson Ramindra Chhetri told myrepublica.com.
Meanwhile, United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) that has been monitoring the management of the arms and armed personnel for over two years said any recruitment, done by the NA or the Maoist army, essentially goes against the past agreements. "UNMIN stands by its earlier decision that new recruitment by NA or Maoist army is against the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and Agreement on the Monitoring of Management of Arms and Armies," Kosmos Bishwakarma, an UNMIN spokesperson, told myrepublica.com.
Earlier, members of Army Integration Special Committee had said that PLA´s decision to start fresh recruitment in its rank and file has posed serious threat to ongoing peace process. “It is blatant attack on the letter and spirit of the Comprehensive Peace Accord,” said Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, a member in the AISC representing Nepali Congress. “We strongly object to the PLA decision.”
The AISC is responsible for taking care and command the PLA personnel kept in 28 cantonment sites as per the Interim Constitution and peace agreements. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, during eighth anniversary of PLA at Hattikhor of Nawalparasi district, had said the PLA no more is under the Maoist party but the AISC.
Dahal chairs the AISC that comprises members from three ruling parties—Unified Communist party of Nepal (Maoist), Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and Madhesi People’s Rights Forum, and main opposition Nepali Congress.
Dr Mahat said he has urged the PM to call AISC meeting immediately, during a reception organized by President Dr Ram Baran Yadav in honor of visiting Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, Monday evening.
“Someone may take the decision to start fresh recruitment as a bargaining tool on some issues,” said Mahat. “But I believe it has exposed the Maoists intention that they did not join the peace process with genuine intention of starting a peaceful politics.”
Another member in the AISC, Bhim Rawal said the Maoists’ move has posed serious threat to the ongoing peace process. “The recruitment will push the peace process on a brink of collapse,” said Rawal a member from second largest ruling party, CPN-UML.
Rawal reigns as AISC member
Shortly before the Maoists’ PLA Chief Nanda Kishor Pun’s announcement to start fresh recruitment drive, UML leader Bhim Rawal resigned from the AISC.
He asked his Personal Secretary to hand over the resignation paper to the prime minister and AISC chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal and send a reference copy to UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal.
Rawal’s PA, however, could not hand over the paper Monday because of the PM’s busy schedule onwith Sri Lankan president’s visit. “I resigned yesterday before I flew to western Nepal for collecting opinion on new constitution,’ said Rawal over telephone from Dhangadhi.
Rawal, however, said he has mentioned “changed context” as the cause behind his resignation from the AISC and it was not as a reaction to PLA’s recruitment drive.
(Tilak Pokharel contributed to this report)
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