Ex. Combatants to be integrated!

ed political situation of the country, particularly after the vertical split in the UCPN Maoist, the government has initiated process to integrate the former Maoist combatants. It is said that the government has directed the Nepal Army (NA) to begin the integration process immediately week.

Following the directives of the UCPN Maoist led incumbent government; the NA has said that it would initiate integration process only after the government clears on some issues related the PLA. PLA combatants, who had opted for integration during the regrouping process in April, will be integrated only if they met the standard norms of the NA.

With the split in the Maoist, it is feared that some combatants would join in the radical force united under the name of CPN, Maoist led by Mohan Baidya. Former combatants, who are eager to be part of the NA after the regrouping, have repeatedly been lamenting the government for delaying in the integration process.

However, the integration process would not be so easy to the government and the NA as political parties are still indecisive whether the date of birth mentioned in the citizenship or the one on the identity card issued by the United Nations Mission In Nepal (UNMIN) should be the basis for integration.
Though the parties have already agreed that the information verified by UNMIN would be the basis for integration, the UCPN Maoist led government has been delaying to give the final nod to the committee to precede the integration process.

Though the seven-point deal signed on November 1 has also clearly says that the combatants would be given concessions on age and educational status based on information collected by UNMIN, the UCPN Maoist has intensively been delaying to make the decision.

Reliable sores close to the committee claims that about 500 to 700 combatants would have backtracked from integration expressing their wish to retire with cash incentives. However, the government is also not paying its heeds on the matter.

Likewise, it is also claimed the initiation to integrate and the split in the UCPN Maoist dose not have any relevancy. Split in the Maoist would not effect to those combatants who had already opted integration process or voluntary retirement scheme, claims a source.