Differing letters from Nepal befuddle UN

• Government and Maoist continue negotiation, common request to UN likely 
• US says UNMIN can't operate without consensus
   
• f there is neither a workable, consensual request, nor a technical rollover UNMIN ceases after Sept. 15 
  
  

The Kathmandu Post on Saturday reported:  

Two separate letters from the Nepali side, amid the controversy on the extension of the United Nations Missionin Nepal (UNMIN), have pushed the United Nations Security Council into a state of ‘confusion’. The member states of the world body entrusted with the responsibility to decide on the future of UNMIN have expressed their concern during meetings with Nepali officials in Kathmandu and have asked for a clearly-worded official position.

On Tuesday, the government sent a letter requesting the United Nations to extend UNMIN’s mandate by four months but remained silent on whether the Nepali Army should continue to remain under the UNMIN purview. The UCPN (Maoist) on Thursday sent a separate letter, saying that the UNMIN purview over the national army should continue. Given the differences between the government and the Maoists, it is not possible for the Security Council to take a decision, which would irk one of the two parties, UN sources said.
If the two sides don’t agree on the common language before Sept. 15, when UNMIN’s tenure ends, the Security Council will have two options before it. First, to give a “technical rollover” offer of some weeks for the two sides to find a common ground while giving UNMIN an extension within a current mandate, as Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has recently mentioned. But such a rollover should have the consent of the government. If the government refuses to accept the technical rollover, the Security Council has no option but to wrap up the mission, a source in New York said.


 “If there is neither a workable, consensual request, nor a technical rollover, the mandate expires on Sept. 15 and UNMIN ceases its substantive activities,” an informed source said. Already, the Nepal government has objected to the very concept of technical rollover which has been conveyed to officials, including Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, by the Kathmandu-based envoys of the member-countries of the Security Council.


Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN Gyanchandra Acharya put forth the government position against the technical rollover during meetings with the deputy permanent representatives from the three permanent members of the Security Council—China, the United Kingdom and France—on Thursday. Acharya will meet the deputy permanent representatives of the United States and Russia on Friday. (Reporting by Mahesh Acharya in New York and Phanindra Dahal in Kathmandu)


Meanwhile, the government on Friday proposed a six-point proposal before the UCPN (Maoist) as its precondition for sending a new request regarding the term extension of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) in its current mandate. 


Home Minister Bhim Rawal and Constituent Assembly Minister Minendra Rijal handed over the proposal to Maoist Vice Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Maoist Standing Committee member Barsha Man Pun. Negotiators of both sides have said discussions on the proposal were “positive” and a joint letter requesting the renewal of UNMIN’s current mandate was soon likely to be dispatched at the UN. 

The government’s condition includes that the Maoist combatants should be immediately brought under the command of the Special Committee and the secretariat body to take over the command should be constituted within 15 days. The next clause includes that the Special Committee would immediately enforce the code of conduct and directives related to the new chain of command to be imposed on the Maoist combatants

The government has proposed formulation of a four-month action plan (Sept 15- Jan. 14, 2011) to complete the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants. 

The draft maintains that the government would request for a four-month extension of UNMIN’s current mandate, if the Maoists agree not to make any “obstruction” regarding the mobility, recruitment and training of the Nepal Army. “We have not reached a concrete conclusion over the mandate of UNMIN, but we are close to consensus,” said Minister Rijal. “Both of us have agreed to consult with senior leaders including the prime minister to finalise the agreement.”

Responding to the government’s proposal, the Maoists have stressed that they are ready to consider allowing the recruitment of technical manpower in the Army, support in bringing logistics related to training and participation in the UN peacekeeping. They have clarified that they will not agree on allowing recruitment in “non-technical positions of the NA.”

The Maoists have urged the government to give a six-month extension to UNMIN so that a six-month action plan to complete the integration and rehabilitation of the combatants can be formulated. 

Maoist leader Pun said both sides have agreed “in principle” to forward a common request to the UN Secretary General before UNMIN’s Sept. 15 deadline. “We are still discussing to preparing common clauses. If we reach an understanding, a new letter requesting an extension of UNMIN with its current mandate will be sent to New York on Saturday,” he said.

 

Government’s proposal 

1.    Immediate reactivation of the Special Committee to take charge of Maoist combatants 
2.    Formation of Special Committee Secretariat within 15 days 

3.    Formulation of a four-month action plan on integration and rehabilitation
4.    Fresh headcount of combatants
5.    Extension of UNMIN’s current mandate for four months
6.     End of obstruction on the mobility, recruitment and training of Nepal Army

Maoist position
1.    No requirement of time bound commitment to constitute Special Committee Secretariat
2.    Need of six-month action plan on integration and rehabilitation
3.    Six-month extension of UNMIN term
4.    Ready to cooperate in recruitment of technical manpower and address problems faced by the Army

On Friday, issuing a press statement tUS Ambassador Scott H DeLisi has said it will be impossible for UNMIN to continue to operate effectively without a full consensus on its role among the parties. “We also noted that although the question of UNMIN’s monitoring role needs to be discussed and agreed upon by the parties, the more compelling need is to address the core issues constraining completion of the peace process," he said.