Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Govt forms five-member army integration committee

The government formed a five-member army integration special committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam on Tuesday.
A meeting of the 'united political appointment committee' held in Prime Minister's residence in Baluwatar formed the special committee, government spokesperson and communication minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara said.
Members of the committee include defence minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum leader Mohammad Habiullah and peace and reconstruction minister Janardan Sharma (ex-officio member) while the remaining one member will be inducted from the Nepali Congress.
The special committee, which will oversee the "management, integration and rehabilitation" of the Maoist People's Liberation Army (PLA), has been formed after prolonged dispute among the parties including the ruling allies.
The process to form the panel had hit a snag with Nepali Congress and ruling partners like CPN (UML) and MJF opposing the Maoists' claim over its leadership.
At a meeting of the four major parties few days earlier, Maoist leaders agreed to give up their claim but insisted that they should have two members in the special committee, a demand the NC flatly rejected.

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