Taking Time
Due to UN processes the monitoring of arms management has not started yet, pushing back other agendas like interim constitution
By SANJAYA DHAKAL
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Maoist combatants : Changing role
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After the signing of the arms accord, the negotiators of both the government and the Maoists are currently having leisure time.
Although they did demonstrate urgency by meeting for a couple of times to discuss the interim constitution, that process seems to have lost steam as it is becoming increasingly clear that the monitoring of the arms and army management by the United Nations could take some time.
On December 1, the United Nations Security Council welcomed and supported the proposal of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to send a technical assistance mission to Nepal to monitor arms and elections to the Constituent Assembly.
"The Security Council welcomes and expresses support for the SG's intention to send a technical assistance mission to Nepal with a view to proposing, following close consultations with the parties, a fully developed concept of UN operations, including UN political mission to deliver the assistance requested, and to dispatch and advance deployment of up to 35 monitors and 25 electoral personnel," the office of Ian Martin, Kofi Annan's personal representative in Nepal said in a statement.
Following the initial approval by the security council, the Nepal plan is now being discussed by budgetary committee of the UN – in order to decide on the nitty gritty of the logistics, manpower and resources required for the purpose.
It appears that it would be weeks before the UN monitors will be on ground doing the actual monitoring. Ian Martin is currently in New York . Although he was scheduled to return to Kathmandu early this week, he decided to stay back to push through the procedures and planning and expedite the process, according to a UN official in Kathmandu .
Martin had gone to New York to brief his senior officials about the latest arms management accord and the request for UN involvement in the monitoring of arms management in Nepal .
The UN official said that of the initial pack of 60 monitors – including 35 arms management monitors and 25 electoral monitors – some might start arriving within this week. "Since they are from various countries, they will not be arriving en bloc," the official said.
Further more, along with them an initial assessment team could also arrive to find out "exact need" by talking to both parties and to 'clarify some issues.'
The official said the initial pack of monitors could right away start monitoring. "However, it is not the responsibility of the UN to construct the cantonments or arrange the facilities there," he said.
As the arms management process is taking time, it has hurt other processes like promulgation of interim constitution. Even though November 8 agreement and CPA has already clarified many controversial issues like status of monarchy, election of CA, interim parliament and so on – thereby making it a lot easier for the two side to finalize the interim constitution – the delay in the actual start of arms management is said to be delaying the whole process since the government is of the view that the Maoists should join the parliament and the government only after their arms and army have been locked up in stores and sent to cantonments under watchful monitoring of the UN. However, as the Maoists are still in the first phase of building temporary cantonment sites and the UN is taking its time to send monitors, it remains to be seen when this process could actually start.
Given the fragile level of trust, Maoist leaders are already expressing their fury. "There are attempts to derail the elections for Constituent Assembly. We are aware of those attempts. We will be forced to make new decision if the interim constitution and interim government is not formed within mid-December," thundered Dinanath Sharma, a member of the Maoist talks team.
In fact, due to delay in the finalization of the arms accord, the timelines fixed by November 8 agreement about the formation of the interim parliament and cabinet and the promulgation of interim constitution have already been missed. According to the November 8 agreement, the interim constitution should have been finalized on November 26 leading to the formation of interim cabinet by December 1.
