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Dispute hinders Army integration

KATHMANDU: After many political major parties opposed the Maoists’ claim to lead a special committee, the process of Army integration is in a state of limbo.

Allies of the coalition government — the CPN (UML) and MJF — want a non-Maoist leader to head the special committee set up to begin the process of integrating Maoists’ combatants with the Army. The Maoists have claimed the leadership role as they are the major party in the government.

The dispute was aggravated when the Nepali Congress (NC) rejected a proposal to remain a part of the committee. Failing to forge a consensus, a Cabinet meeting was cancelled twice. On Thursday, Maoist leader C. P. Gajurel said a Maoist representative should lead the committee as “both the PM and Defence Minister belong to the Maoists.”

However, CPN (UML) leader Raghuji Pant said: “[The] Maoists cannot lead the committee whose task is to integrate their own Army.” NC leader Ram Sharan Mahat said ‘conflict of interest’ was hindering the process. An indoctrinated Army — referring to the People’s Liberation Army — should not be integrated with the national Army, he added. The government had earlier announced to “integrate and rehabilitate” Maoist combatants within six months, of which more than a month has passed.

PTI reports:

Deposed king Gyanendra may face lights-out over unpaid electricity bills. The government is set to serve a 15-day notice to him and his relatives, demanding payment of Rs. 7.7 crore.

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