A senior UML leader said Saturday that the prime minister is not in favor of extending the term of the cops as three days have already passed since their terms expired. "Either it should be terminated or they should be given new appointment, which is not possible," the leader said.
Home Minister Bhim Rawal had taken a firm stance against the extension even if all his cabinet colleagues argued in favor of extension. Rawal had threatened to resign rather than giving them extensions.
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal had issued a written directive to the home ministry to stay the cops´ retirement reportedly after Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala urged him to do so.
The leader downplayed prime minister´s written directive and said that he had just asked the home minister to discuss it with other coalition partners and try to sort it out amicably.
Prime minister´s political advisor Raghuji Panta told myrepublica.com that home minister´s stance was correct and he supported it. "The government can´t adopt different policies for three security agencies under the same ministry. They should be given retirement to give uniformity in the policies to be implemented by the ministry," said Pant.
The government has already enforced 30-year service term policy in the Armed Police Force and the National Investigation Department, which are under the home ministry.
Pant also argued that home minister should be given a full autonomy in handling the ministry and the security agencies. "As the law and order situation in the country is in a very fragile state the home minister should be given free hand in accomplishing his task," argued Pant.
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