Nearing Completion
Maoists inch closer to the interim government as UN says registration of weapons and first stage of registration of combatants will complete this week
By SANJAYA DHAKAL
If things go as planned, the Maoists could be included in the government as early as next week. The UN has said that the registration of arms and first stage of registration of its combatants will be complete by Friday, February 16.
Ian Martin, Special Representative of the Secretary General, said that following the completion of the registration, he will report the full details about the arms and combatants to the government and the Maoist leadership and discuss with them how to make them public. "During this week, we will test the installation of 24-hour closed-circuit television surveillance," he said.
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Martin visits cantonment in Kailali : First hand inspection |
"I am satisfied with the arrangements I saw for the storage and monitoring of weapons at Kailali and Surkhet. The system is essentially the same as at other cantonments, with a 24-hour presence of Interim Task Force (ITF) and UN arms monitors living on site," said Martin who traveled to Kailali and Surkhet districts a few days ago to observe the registration process.
Martin, however, added that it was up to the government and the parties to decide what constituted the completion of arms management. As per earlier agreements, the Maoists will have to be included in the interim government after the completion of arms management.
When Martin addressed a press meet on Monday (Feb 12), the registration of weapons and combatants had been already completed in five of the seven cantonment sites. The registration was completed at main cantonment sites in Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Rolpa, Surkhet and Kailali districts.
In the second stage of registration of combatants, which will follow immediately after the completion of the first stage, the UN arms monitors will thoroughly verify the combatants regarding their age and recruitment. It has been agreed that only those combatants who have been recruited by the Maoists before May, 2006 and who are over 18 years of age can be recognized and registered.
At the press meet Martin expressed dissatisfaction over the living conditions at the cantonment sites in terms of shelter, sanitation and access to basic services as water and electricity. "This is not a matter of direct UN responsibility, but it will have a serious impact on our work if there are not rapid improvements," he said. Martin hinted that there would be serious problem in monitoring if the combatants start venturing outside the cantonments in search of better shelter.
There are now a total of 48 UN arms monitors who are working with the support of the ITF – which includes ex-Gurkha army personnel. The number of UN monitors will climb to 66 by the end of this week and reach 80 in total by the end of February. Approximately, 80 vehicles donated by the Indian government to the Nepal government to be used by UN team will also be arriving to Kathmandu this week.
Meanwhile, Martin expressed concerns about the delay in the formulation of necessary electoral legislations, which he said could affect the holding of Constituent Assembly elections on stipulated time. "The agreement of the eight parties regarding extra seats for Terai constituencies must not allow us to forget that this and other aspects of the electoral arrangements have to be fully worked out so that they can be incorporated in electoral legislation, which is urgently needed to make feasible the timetable for the CA elections. In that regard, I would urge the political parties to heed the very timely call of the Chief Election Commissioner for urgent decisions and action in approving the much needed legislation, taking into account the need to address legitimate demands for inclusion," he said.
Martin also expressed concerns about reports of confiscation of voters rolls in some places. "The Election Commission has no power to act outside the law. The case for the law to be amended to ensure greater inclusion is a matter to be pursued by members of the interim legislature which now includes Maoist representatives – not by party cadres taking the law into their own hands," he said.
Likewise, Martin also said he was concerned about attacks by the Maoists against workers of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) recently in Lamjung and Tanahu districts, respectively. He said the UN can only regard an electoral process as credible "if people of all opinions are able to organize and campaign free of violence or intimidation."
"The UN played a role in defending that right during the People's Movement and we intend to do so just as uncompromisingly in the period to the CA election," he said, adding that the UNMIN and OHCHR will be closely monitoring the extent to which all parties respect the rights of others.
