Special panel to monitor Nepal peace process after UNMIN: Govt

KATHMANDU: A special panel with representatives from major political parties, including the Maoists, will monitor Nepal's stalled peace process after the exit of the UN agency UNMIN from the country on January 15.

The caretaker government has said it would monitor the 19,000 combatants and arms of the Maoists, who are presently housed in United Nations Mission in Nepal supervised camps, after the agency of the world body departs this month.

The mandate of UNMIN, which was established by the world body as a special political mission in 2007 to manage the arms and armed personnel of the Maoists and the Nepal Army, is set to expire on January 15, 2011. It has started the process to begin the pull out from the country.

The Special Committee comprising representatives from the major political parties, including the main Opposition UCPN-Maoist, will shoulder the responsibility of monitoring the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) of the Maoists and their weapons, the government said.

"The Special Committee Secretariat will take charge of supervising and monitoring functions currently being carried out by the UNMIN," the government said in a letter sent to UNMIN chief Karin Landgren.

Bimal Prasad Wagley, the Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office and the Council of Ministers, wrote the letter to the UNMIN on behalf of the government on Friday.

The government has asked the UNMIN to hand over arms containers, details of arms and armies, documents retained by the Joint Monitoring Committee and other logistics.

The withdrawal of the UN agency has sparked a row between the ruling alliance and the main Opposition, who want the term of the UNMIN to be extended.

The ruling alliance, which has accused the UNMIN of favouring the Maoists, has ruled out a rethink on the issue of the withdrawal UNMIN.

UNMIN chief Karin Landgren has asked the government to firm up plans for the integration of the former Maoist guerrillas in the post-UNMIN period.

UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon has also sought government's view in the matter in his latest report to be presented to the UN Security Council.

In his report, Ban has urged Nepalese political parties to end the prolonged political deadlock that has hampered progress in the peace process.

The country has been in political limbo since the June 30 resignation of Prime Minister Madhav Nepal. Despite a series of polls, the parliament has been unable to elect a new leader, stalling the 2006 peace process in the country.