Kathmandu: A key UN agency tasked to
supervise Nepal's peace process has asked the government to
reach an early decision on the extension of the UNMIN as the
political crisis deepened with the launch of an indefinite
strike by the Maoists to force the Prime Minster to quit.
Karin Landgren, the Chief of United Nations Mission in
Nepal (UNMIN), asked embattled Prime Minister Madhav Kumar
Nepal to reach an early decision on extension of the UN’s
political mission whose term expires on May 15.
Landgren, who met the prime minister yesterday, said
it would be easy for her to put the proposal at the upcoming
UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting if the government decided
on the matter, the myrepublica online reported.
The world body established the United Nations Mission
in Nepal (UNMIN) as a special political mission in 2007 with a
mandate to manage the arms and armed personnel of the Maoists
and the Nepal Army.
The premier, who is battling Maoists attempt to force
him to step down, told the UN official that he is holding
discussions with the political parties to arrive at a decision
soon. However, he assured her that the government will soon
take a decision to extend UNMIN’s mission.
The parties have already agreed in principle to extend
the term, but there is no consensus whether it should be for
six months or one year. He also referred to fresh agitation by
the Maoist to topple the government.
Landgren express concern over the stalled peace
process, according to Bishnu Rijal, the prime minister’s press
advisor.
The prime minister also complained that a large number
of Maoist combatants housed in the cantonments and camps had
moved out with arms, violating the Comprehensive Peace Accord
(CPA) between the Maoists and the interim government in 2006.
Nepalese political leaders are struggling to meet a
May 28 deadline to finish the drafting of a new constitution
as stipulated by the peace process that brought the civil war
to an end in 2006.
Political tensions have been high in Nepal since a
government led by the Maoists resigned last year amid
a dispute with President Ram Baran Yadav over the
reinstatement of former army chief Rukmangad Katawal, who was
dismissed by the Prachanda-led government last May.
There is growing concern over the fate of the stalled
peace process with the Maoists stepping up their agitation to
force the Prime Minster to quit so as to pave the way for a
Maoists-led government.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, May 02, 2010, 19:28