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Nepal Maoists begin process of handing over weapons

Ameet Dhakal

To get Deputy Prime Minister's post in power sharing

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KATHMANDU: Verification of Maoist combatants and identification of their weapons began in Nepal on Wednesday at two cantonment sites in Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts, nearly 150 km from here.

The U.N. officials have verified 354 Maoist combatants — 150 women among them — of the 6,000 fighters from the 3rd and 4th divisions. The handed over weapons include World War I vintage .303 rifles, INSAS rifles and self-loading rifles.

They will be locked in a storage placed in the cantonment. The Maoists leaders will keep the key of the storage, which the UN officials will monitor using closed circuit camera and sensor devices.

Gen. Jan Erik Wilhelmsen, U.N. military official, said, "The first day of registration and storage of weapons at the 3rd and 4th Maoist cantonment sites went very well. I am pleased to report that there was excellent cooperation between the Maoist combatants, the U.N. monitors and registration team and the Interim Task Force."

Re-elected Speaker

It's still not clear how many days the process will take as the Maoists have claimed that the number of combatants is over 35,000. The formation of the interim government is unlikely to take place unless the process is complete.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has said the arms management process should be complete before the Maoists join the interim government. India and the U.S. have also called for the same. India said the process should be "complete and credible."

Subash Nembang has been re-elected unanimously the Speaker of the interim legislature. Mr. Nembang was elected unopposed after Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who leads 83 Maoist lawmakers in the legislature, proposed his name.

Maoist leader Barsa Man Pun claimed that his party agreed on Mr. Nembang's name after the Seven-Party Alliance leaders agreed to give the post of the Deputy Prime Minister to them.

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