Quickening Pace
Eight party leaders have decided to start the actual arms management by January 15
By SANJAYA DHAKAL
As per their agreement to promulgate the interim constitution along with beginning the process of monitoring of arms management by January 15, efforts are being made to set up the management facilities.
The initial batch of 13 UN monitors has already arrived and they are preparing to work from Kathmandu and Nepalgunj in two teams.
Likewise, following the selection and recruitment of ex-Gurkhas in the Interim Task Force (ITF), they are now being trained by UN officials and NA and Maoist commanders. They could be hitting the ground by the end of this week.
The 13 UN monitors who arrived last week, have been given short training and will soon be starting operating in two teams. According to Ian Martin, Personal Representative of the UN Secretary General, the 35 monitors will be available for deployment from January 15 – the day when the interim constitution will be promulgated.
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A site of Maoist cantonment: Beginning of monitoring activities |
Addressing a press conference in the capital on Friday (January 5) before he headed for New York, , Martin said the 111 members of the Interim Task Force (ITF) consisting of ex-Gurkha soldiers will also start their job of maintaining 24 hour presence at weapons storage sites till full UN team takes over their job.
"My military adviser will be advising the commander of the ITF on the planning, organization, training and equipment of the ITF," said Martin, adding, "Subject to the logistical arrangements being made by the government, we expect the ITF to deploy to the seven main cantonment sites late next week, so they and the UN arms monitors will work in cooperation from the outset, under the coordination of JMCC."
Martin had also informed that the weapons storage containers are now in place at six of the sites, while the one for the Rolpa site remains to be transported there.
Furthermore, the process of registering the weapons and combatants could also begin from January 15. "Registration teams provided by UNDP are on stand-by to begin registration by 15 January, initially of weapons and later of combatants," he said.
He informed that the report of the Secretary General based on the recommendations of the Technical Assessment Mission, has been finalized. At the press conference He said that he expects the Security Council to consider Nepal on January 11. "But the agenda of the SC is always subject to last minute changes," he added.
Martin left for New York on Friday with the mission of updating the progress of Nepal peace process to the member states of the Security Council and to help in finalization of planning and budgeting. Martin also expressed his confidence that the support given by former Secretary General Kofi Annan to the Nepal peace process will be continued by the new SG Ban Ki Moon.
Martin also informed that Dr. Fida Nasrullah, a Lebanese citizen, has been appointed as UN Chief Electoral Adviser, to help in the Constituent Assembly elections.
Meanwhile, as per the agreement between the government and the Maoists, the Nepali Army (NA) is preparing to store its weapons at Chhauni barracks in Kathmandu .
According to NA spokesperson Brigadier General Ananta Thebe, the NA will store its weapons in containers at the Chhauni barracks. “Once the Maoist combatants store their weapons, we will store the equal quantity of weapons in Chhauni,” Thebe said.
He added, however, that the containers to store NA weapons have not yet been made available to them.
The weapons of the Maoists are going to be stored in containers in seven cantonments across the country. The NA, however, will store its weapons in a single location. As per the agreement between the government and the Maoists, the NA will have to store equal quantity of weapons and subject them to UN monitoring.
