United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) has said that it can not accept any preconditions of the Maoists that delay the second stage of registration and verification of the Maoists combatants. In a meeting on Monday of the UN-chaired Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee(JMCC), that comprises members from the Nepali Army and the Maoists' People's Liberation Army (PLA), Maoist representatives had said they won’t allow second stage of registration and verification of its combatants until political deadlock is broken and the government fulfills the physical requirements at the cantonments.
In a press conference organised in UN House Tuesday, Ian Martin Special Representative of the Secretary-General and chief of UNMIN said “The obligation on the CPN (M) to allow verification to proceed is unconditional, and I have made clear to the Maoist leadership that UNMIN cannot accept its linkage to any pre-conditions.”
He further said UNMIN is set to initiate the second stage of registration and verification of the Maoists combatants for two purposes: to identify minors who under the agreement must be discharged and to determine whether personnel were recruited after 25 May 2006, in breach of the ceasefire code of conduct.
He informed that the Maoists were not allowing the second stage of registration and verification stating to improve the conditions in the cantonments, government remuneration for those registered there and the formation of the committee envisaged by Article 146 of the Interim Constitution to take the responsibility for the future of the Maoist army.
He however, said that the postponement of the Constituent Assembly election may prolong so it is urgent to improve conditions of the cantonments which have repeatedly proved to be unsatisfactory.
Martin also raised the concern of UNMIN’s mandate to assist in monitoring the ceasefire agreements, together with OHCHR-Nepal’s human rights monitoring. “The media regularly reports allegations and denial of breaches of agreements, such a situation cries out for monitoring which is independent of the political actors themselves, and I repeat my hope that UNMIN’s civil affairs officers will soon be able to work with an independent national monitoring body, as well as with the local peace committees to be established as part of the Common Minimum Programme.
He further urged that all parties must fulfill their commitment to respect the rights of all citizens to participate in public life and political activity freely and without fear.
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