PM seeks UN help in rehab for Maoist fighters

KATHMANDU, Oct 6: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has sought the support of the United Nations for the rehabilitation of the ex-Maoist fighters currently living in the UN-monitored cantonments.

The prime minister made the request during his meeting with visiting UN Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs B Lynn Pascoe at his office in Singh Durbar Wednesday. [break]

"We´ll accomplish the integration of the combatants on our own," Rajan Bhattarai, prime minister´s foreign relations advisor quoted the PM Nepal as saying. "But we have expected support for the rehabilitation of the combatants."

Pascoe arrived in Kathmandu this morning for a two-day visit to review the progress being made in the peace process and preparations there of for the orderly withdrawal of UNMIN. This is Pascoe´s second visit to Nepal. He had been in Kathmandu earlier this year.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Nepal had drawn the attention of Pascoe that the UN could support Nepal on the basis of experience the global body has earned in package support for rehabilitation in various conflict-affected countries. The prime minister further told Pascoe that the UN could assist Nepal in the rehabilitation through monetary and experts´ support package.

In response, Pascoe expressed the UN´s readiness to help take the ongoing peace process to a logical end, according to a press statement issued by the prime minister´s office. Pasoce said that the UN could assist through its various specialized agencies including UNDP after the term extended for the last time expires on January 15, 2011.

During the meeting, the prime minister apprised Pascoe of the steps taken by the government to help accomplish the ongoing peace process. Pascoe had expressed his happiness over the success for the formation of secretariat to facilitate integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants.

Upon his arrival, according to a statement from UNMIN, Pascoe said, "This is a critical period. The Security Council has decided that UNMIN will close on January 15. There is a lot of work to be done between now and then. [The Council] also gave explicit instructions to do everything we can to help the Nepali peace process in that period, which we will certainly do under [Representative of the Secretary-General] Karin Landgren."

Besides meeting the government and the political leaders, Pascoe will engage in discussions with UNMIN officials and the UN country team as well as other stakeholders to chalk out strategies needed to ensure a smooth transition to the post-UNMIN period.

"I need to get a good feel for where the process is at the moment. I hope they would be very positive discussions that I have with the party leaders and the government on this process because I have to go back and report to the Security Council next week on what I find. So I´m looking for a very productive next couple of days," he said.

Pascoe remained busy in meeting with political leaders on Wednesday. Besides the prime minister, he met Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) Chairman Jhalanath Khanal.

According to the UNMIN statement, Pascoe, during the discussions, exchanged views on what needs to be accomplished in the remaining time and where there needs to be greater focus. He also discussed the implementation of the September 13 four-point agreement on concluding the peace process by January 14 next year.

Pasoce, after meeting with Dahal, told journalists that he discussed with political leaders about all political affairs, issues related to UNMIN, question of cantonments, constitution making and political process in general.

On the occasion, the top UN official hailed the latest progress made in Nepal´s peace process and said that the UN agencies were ready to support Nepal even after the UNMIN´s exit. He told reporters that he would brief to the United Nations Security Council about his political discussions in Nepal by Oct. 15