NA's UNMIN exit call, parties divided

PHANINDRA DAHAL
KATHMANDU, AUG. 25
With Nepal Army lobbying for the exit of United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) in September, political parties, who will ultimately decide the fate of the UN mission, remain sharply divided.

Nepali Congress and CPN-UML are considering narrowing UNMIN's mandate. UCPN (Maoist), meanwhile, has objected to any revision and warned such a move would put the peace process at serious risk. 

"The Nepal Army must be kept out of UNMIN's purview because the concept of two sides has become outdated," said NC leader Ram Sharan Mahat on Wednesday. "The mandate should be amended and UNMIN should be given the task of first-hand monitoring of Maoist combatants." That, according to him, means UN monitors shouldn't rely on reports of PLA commanders but carry out regular roll calls in and supervision of the cantonments.

UML leader Pradeep Gyawali said there is no need to keep NA under UNMIN's surveillance in the changed political context. "We can bid UNMIN farewell if there is agreement among political parties on an alternative mechanism to take over the monitoring," he said. "There is no point keeping the Army under the UN scanner. We need to take a political decision." 

However, the Maoists say the peace process will collapse if such a decision is taken. "Congress and UML want to send UNMIN away at India's behest. After the exit of UNMIN, they want to impose presidential rule in the country and dissolve the Constituent Assembly," said Maoist leader Barsha Man Pun. "The PLA will come out of the cantonments if such a decision is taken and it will cost the country dear."

While the government and the Maoists remain divided over UNMIN's term, UN officials say the fate of the mission rests in the hands of national stakeholders and of the five members of the UN Security Council. "If there is consensus among the parties for a domestic monitoring mechanism, UNMIN wouldn't want to lengthen its stay in Nepal," said a UN official.

Special Representative of the Secretary General Karin Landgren is leaving for New York early next month to attend the discussion on Nepal's peace process at the UN Security Council. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is scheduled to table his report over the progress in the peace process on Sept. 7.

Meanwhile, the Army has recommended the names of three retired generals -- Balananda Sharma, Amar Panta and Bajra Gurung -- to head the proposed new mechanism under the special committee. Other members of the mechanism include representatives of the Home Ministry, Defence Ministry, the Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force, the National Investigation Department and the political parties at the centre as well as retired personnel from the Gurkha Army to carry out monitoring at the cantonments.