PM will push peace after Maoist Central Committee decision

KATHMANDU, April 29: Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal is going to give momentum to the stalled peace process after the Maoist´s central committee endorses peace and constitution as party line.



"Following the meeting of the [Maoist] central committee, the prime minister is going to push the peace process forward. There will be progress in five areas -- integration modality, integration numbers, working time table and standard norms, and rehabilitation package," said Surya Thapa, the prime minister´s press advisor. [break]



Thapa said the prime minister has already held consultations with Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on the five issues.



Thapa said the prime minister is going to call a meeting of the Special Committee very soon. According to J P Gupta, a member of the Special Committee, the Prime Minister´s Office has consulted Special Committee members to fix date for the Special Committee meeting soon. As of Thursday, the date has not been finalized, said an official at the Prime Minister´s Office that houses the Secretariat of the Special Committee.



The Special Committee has not met since March 23 when it had formed a four-member taskforce to prepare integration and rehabilitation modality, set standard norms for integration and the number of the combatants to be integrated into security forces. The taskforce has not met for nearly a month.



Speaking in Janakpur on Thursday, Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal said the peace process will take a "noticeable" step in a couple of days.

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