Exclusive: Nepal PM: Only some percentage of Maoist Combatants will be merged in Nepal Army
Rajneesh Bhandari
June 30, 2009
PM Nepal said, ´Regarding the integration, certain percentage of combatants will be integrated into security organs whether it be the Nepali army, or police, or in the new structure that may be the border security force or the economic security force.´ Maoists are demanding that their cadres should be integrated as soon as possible in the Nepal Army. The special committee formed by the government to rehabilitate, integrate and monitor the Maoists Combatants is yet to decide on this issue.
PM Nepal said, ´If they (Maoist Combatants) desire they will be provided special technical and vocational training so that they can be absorbed in various jobs. Some of the people can be given money, so that they can earn their living and have their self-employment themselves. Some people can be given special package program so that they can go to their own home. They can even join the foreign job.´
PM Nepal also said that the present government will not support the issue raised by the Maoist in the parliament to condemn the President. ´There are some problems in the parliament; Maoists are raising some of the issues. They want it to be addressed. The issues that raised by them cannot be supported by us; you know they are demanding that the action of the president needs to be condemned, which we don´t think that the president has done it unilaterally.´ Pm Nepal said, ´the dismissal of the army chief cannot be again revived, the dismissal decision was revoked and now again it cannot be revived.´ PM Nepal termed Army Chief Rukmangad Katuwal ´bonafide´ chief of army. He also said that the new constitution will be written on time.
PM Nepal who took oath a month ago said that the three main priorities of his government are: to take the peace process to a positive conclusion, to draft a new constitution as per the aspiration of the people and to address the concerns and demands of the Nepali People.
PM Nepal said that he is preparing for his first foreign visit. ´The visit will be to Egypt for a Non-Align-Movement Summit.' PM Nepal said.
PM Nepal said that Nepal and India are planning to sign a new agreement on trade to give more space to the Nepali products in the growing Indian economy. PM Nepal said, ´As for the trade is concern, there is a discussion going in a bureaucratic level on signing a new trade agreement. That new trade agreement will benefit Nepal. Nepal has a huge trade dependency with India. That´s why Nepali product needs to get its own market in India. India has to be liberal has to give more space to the Nepali product in its own market.´
But PM Nepal said that there will be no change in the treaties with the neighboring nation India. ´About other treaties we have decided that the thing which has been decided earlier will be continued. That was during UML´s nine month government under the leadership of the Man Mohan Singh and I was the foreign minister at that time 1994-1995, or be the government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda whatever agreed during the successive government, needs to be kept in mind and moved forward again.´
PM Nepal said that the he will continue with the smooth, coordinal relation with India. Pm Nepal said, ´We have a very smooth relation, coordinal relation with India. So, the continuity of the level of the relation, all the governments are managing the coordinal relation with India so that will be continues.´
Pm Nepal denied any pressure from Indian government. ´There is no, any, pressure to the present government.´ PM Nepal said, ´India wants to see a peaceful, stable, independent and prosperous Nepal. So there will not be any pressure from their side.´
Some excerpts of the interview
Q: What are the three main priorities of this government?
PM Nepal: One, to take this peace process to a positive conclusion. Two, draft a new constitution as per the aspiration of the people. Three, address the concerns and demands of Nepali people. These are the three major tasks of the government.
Q: You have recently revoked the decision of the Maoist government to sack the Army Chief? Isn't that against people´s supremacy?
PM Nepal: All the parties in the coalition government have already opposed the decision to sack the army chief. Maoist have unilaterally decided to sack to the present army chief, it is quite natural that decision of respective parties who are in the coalition needs to be implemented properly, that´s why this government has decided to revoke the decision earlier made by Maoist government.
Q: Recently the Indian foreign minister on his visit invited you to India, when are you leaving for India? What will your priority be during this visit?
PM Nepal: The visit will be to Egypt for non-align-movement summit in Egypt.
Q. How is Nepal going to play its position as it finds itself between two 2 booming economies - China and India?
PM Nepal: Nepal is in between India and China; both of these countries are showing to the world that they are now a vibrant country, a country which is developing its economy in the fasted speed, a growing prosperity in both the countries. So Nepal can take advantage from their development.
Q. What are the aspects of the traditional relations with India that you want to change the trade treaty and the water treaty?
PM Nepal: As for the trade is concern, there is a discussion going on among on a bureaucratic level on signing a new trade agreement. That new trade agreement will benefit Nepal. Nepal has a huge trade dependency with India. That´s why Nepali product needs to get its own market in India. India has to be liberal has to give more space to the Nepali product in its own market. This new trade agreement will benefit us to some extent.
About other treaties we have decided that the thing which has been decided earlier will be continued. That was during UML´s nine month government under the leadership of the Man Mohan Singh and I was the foreign minister at that time 1994-1995, or be the government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda whatever agreed during the successive government, needs to be kept in mind and moved forward again. We have a very smooth relation, coordinal relation with India. So, the continuity of the level of the relation, all the governments are managing the co ordinal relation with India so that will be continues.
Q: Is there any pressure from Indian government?
PM Nepal: There is no, any, pressure to the present government. Rather they have told us that any such rumors if there are needs to be clarified. India wants to see a peaceful, stable, independent and prosperous Nepal. So there will not be any pressure from their side. If there are any problems that need to be discussed among the concern people. This time we discussed problem of the border, on the border issue there are some problem. And when I drown attention to this problem to foreign secretary of India Shiv Shankar Menon, he was a very positive and told me that whatever that has to be done will be done.
If problems arise they will be settled. We will make new mechanism, on the ground level we can work on that. So that the issue will not be pending and create trouble all the time, rather it will be addressed immediately.
Q: Are you looking for some support from India on army integration?
PM Nepal: As for the arm integration, Nepal can do it. It is a matter that has to be decided by the Nepali party themselves. We need good wishes. If there is any other needs than it is the cooperation and the support. Basically we need full cooperation in the sense that whatever Nepal wants that should be respected and properly addressed by others.
Q. How are the Maoist Militants going to be integrated? Why is it taking so much time?
PM Nepal: We have not been able to resolve the problem that is inside the cantonment, so our government´s attention will be on the issue of proper management of the cantonment, there is some provision in the peace accord. There has been some understanding later on. There is a special committee before us and also a technical committee. All these things should be kept in mind and things should move smoothly and fast.
Regarding the integration, certain percentage of combatants will be integrated into security organs whether it be the Nepali army, or police, or in the new structure that may be the border security force or the economic security force. And the other part can be provided if they desire so special technical and vocational training so that they can be absorbed in various jobs. Some of the people can be given money, so that they can earn their living and have their self-employment themselves. Some people can be given special package program so that they can go to their own home. They can even join the foreign job. So the people who are in the cantonment will find other spaces to be adjusted.
Q. When will a new constitution be delivered?
PM: Some of the committees have already submitted the reports and that have been discussed in the committees. And those reports are being finalized.
As for the other committees they are also doing their work. Gradually all the committees are in a way to finalize their own work. So we have before us, full one year time within that we have to finalize the discussion on the constitution, decide about the draft of the constitution and promulgate it.
These things can be done, but the time is short, we have to be responsible and we have to keep time in our mind and some of the delicate issues on our mind also. Some issues needs to more and more discussion and deliberation and we can come to a common understanding and viable understanding, we have to be consistent in our work, we can do it, there is determination, honest, flexibility and responsibility, so all these things can be done.
Q. The Maoists are creating so many problems for you? What do you comment on it?
PM: There are some problems in the parliament; Maoists are raising some of the issues. They want them to be addressed. The issues that raised by them cannot be supported by us; you know they are demanding that the action of the president needs to be condemned, which we don´t think that the president has done it unilaterally.
And people are telling that it was a compulsion and it was done with the consensus of the parties and the spirit of the constitution. Now the second thing is, the dismissal of the army chief cannot be again revived, the dismissal decision was revoked and now again it cannot be revoked. The present CoAS is a bonafide CoAS. Their demand that he be sacked again how it can be accepted by us. One thing is there, if they have in their mind that it has raised a question of the civilian or the military supremacy we can sit and discuss about the issues. What is the military supremacy and what is military supremacy. If there is any unclearity on this issue we can see it. Just put respective parties views there and find a common position and discussion can take place but no one should compel others to accept the views of owns side. All are independent to keep their own political position.
So just cursing other is not the democratic way, if you don´t agree you may have a different opinion. You can take that to the people can use it as a political propaganda; but cursing other is not the way, it is not the democratic way.
Q. Prachanda has commented time and again that there is pressure from foreign friends, is that true?
PM Nepal: I have no idea about this one, I have no information about this one, if Prachada is raising this question then he has to tell the world that he is getting pressure from such, such, such person, from such institution or the people. Otherwise boxing in the air, creating confusions and manipulating others is not the proper way.
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