Nepal postpones decision on army integration

{image-nepa 21_25102008.jpg news.oneindia.in}Kathmandu, Oct 25: The Nepal cabinet meeting has ended without making any decision on the formation of the much-hyped special committee to look after induction of Maoists combatants in to the army.

The meeting on Friday, which took place after being postponed twice earlier, understandably discussed the draft structure of the special committee which will be set to monitor the Nepal army after the integration of the Maoist combatants. Meanwhile, the CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress (NC) have maintained their stance that the special committee should be headed by a party other than the CPN-Maoist. In separate meetings with Prime Minister Prachanda, the leaders of the political parties said that leadership of the committee should be given to other parties as the army integration is a complicated issue.

According to Nepali Congress Vice President Ram Chandra Poudel, his party has stuck to its earlier stand that the headship of the committee should be in the hands of parties other than the Maoists.

Poudel said that the CPN-Maoist proposed that at least two persons from the party should be represented in the committee which will decide the fate of the Maoist combatants.

CPN-UML General Secretary Jhala Nath Khanal asked the Maoist leadership to become flexible on the issue, saying that the Maoists should not lead the committee.

Khanal said that he advised Prachanda to take initiatives to forge political agreement for the formation of the special committee which he said is a sensitive issue.

ANI