Yadav told Dahal during their meeting Monday afternoon not to change the leadership of the Nepal Army, saying this was an issue related to the peace process and required an all-party consensus. “Issues of the army and army integration are issues to be decided through political consensus. That is the spirit of the constitution,” said a source quoting the president. “So you should not take any decision over this without taking all the parties into confidence.”
The president said there is an obligatory provision in the constitution for the government to get the consent of the political parties and parliament. He said the government cannot carry out any changes until the Maoist combatants kept in the cantonments are integrated into other security forces or rehabilitated.
According to a source close to the prime minister, President Yadav urged the prime minister not to change the Nepal Army’s structure until the Military Act is amended as per the letter and spirit of the fourth and fifth amendments to the constitution, which provides for the president as supreme commander of the army.
The prime minister had appraised the president of the cabinet decision to seek clarifications from Katawal for the latter’s continuous refusal to obey the government´s orders, according to a source close to the prime minister. “The prime minister clearly hinted that the army chief will be sacked if his clarifications are not satisfactory,” said the source.
Following the prime minister’s meeting with the president, the Nepali Congress sensed the Maoists’ clear intention to remove the army chief and destabilize the national army. The main opposition party called an emergency meeting of its Central Working Committee for Tuesday morning, after a delegation meets with the president.
Nepali Congress leader Krishna Sitaula met with the president immediately after the prime minister left Sital Niwas and informed the president about the Nepali Congress stance. “We strongly believe that the government´s action against the army chief will bring the ongoing peace process to an end,” said Sitaula, who led the government negotiating team that brought the Maoists into mainstream politics in 2006. “We wish the government would withdraw the action against the army chief and save the peace process from coming to an end.”
Sitaula said he can’t even think that this government will commit the mistake of removing the army chief at this moment.
The issue of government action against Katawal has landed the main ruling and opposition parties at loggerheads as the Maoist ministers have expressed their determination to sack Katawal while the NC leaders said they will fight to the finish to stop the Maoists from destroying the national army. The Nepali Congress boycotted the parliament meeting Monday as a symbolic protest against the government decision.
Meanwhile, CPM-UML General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel said his party will not make the government ´s action against the army chief a do or die issue but will properly protest against the decision after a thorough study of the clarification sought by the government and Katawal’s response to it.
Madhesi People’s Rights Forum leaders said they have not been informed about the government decision. "We will decide what to do after our central committee meets,” said Upendra Jha, a central leader of the MPRF who is close to party chairman Upendra Yadav.
Related story
KMC Mayor Shah to take action against Chief Administrative Offi...
