Dedicated to Daniel Pearl

Nepal’s Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala reiterated his stance of not to include Maoist rebels in the government before decomissioning their armies. He told it to the visiting UN mission led by Staffan de Mistura. I think Koirala is correct because the nation would plunge into another circuit fof violence and treacheries if Maoists were included in the government with their arms. It is a very significant issue, about which the civil society should formulate an opinion. I don’t know why the civil society in Nepal has kept quiet over such an important issue whereas they are staging sit-in protests to dissolve the recently reinstated House of Representatives. I also think the House should be resolved but it would be another blunder if it was done in a haste, without seeking any other alternative. During his meeting with the high level UN assessment mission led by Staffan de Mistura, Prime Minister Koirala said that the letter sent to the global body by the government seeking its cooperation in Nepal peace process is the official view of the government. Maoist supremo Prachanda, however, wrote to the UN expressing serious reservation over the content of government’s letter to UN. According to reports, de Mistura demanded the government’s clear view about the peace process and the UN role in Nepal peace process. Reports quoted de Mistura as saying that the discussion with the Prime Minister was very fruitful and added that the mission would decide on the UN assistance to Nepal after getting clear view from both the sides. Earlier, the UN team led by de Mistura also held discussion with the top leaders of Maoists and demanded their [Maoists’] view about UN help in Nepal’s peace process. Likewise, the team led by Mistura also held discussion with the taskforce of the ruling seven political parties. The taskforce asked the UN team for arms management and to keep the Nepal Army in the barracks and the Maoist army in camp under UN monitoring. The UN team had asked the government and the Maoists to reach a consensus on the issue of arms management. The UN team led by de Mistura is arrived in Kathmandu last Thursday at the invitation of the Nepal government to assess how the world body could help Nepal’s peace process and “arms management during the proposed elections for the constituent assembly.