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Integration of PLA into Nepali Army
By KTM Metro Reporter in Kathmandu
On Sunday, January 06, 2008, talking to the reporters at the Kathmandu International airport before leaving for a weeklong visit to China, Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Rukmangud Katuwal said that the Nepali Army (NA) does not believe in any political 'isms.' General Katuwal further said that the NA is a professional army, and is not guided by any 'political ideology' but only by the 'chain of command' system. His comments on the Nepali Army have come at the time when the debate on the integration of Maoist combatants into the NA is ongoing after the 23-agreement reached among the seven-party alliance and accordingly an amendment to the interim constitution done by the legislature.
On Monday, January 07, 2008, speaking to the journalists in Fulbari Resort at Dhulikhel, Kavre where the CPN-Maoist was holding its central committee meeting, Minister for Information and Communications and CPN-Maoist spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said that the remarks made by Chief of Army Staff General Rukmangud Katuwal could adversely affect the peace process. He said that the remarks were not acceptable and were against the peace agreement.
On Tuesday, January 08, 2008, talking to the delegation of reporters led by the president of the Reporters' Club Nepal, Rishi Dhamala at his official residence in Baluwatar, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said that the Maoists' People's Liberation Army (PLA) combatants cannot be integrated into the Nepali Army (NA). Prime Minister Koirala had expressed his thoughts of an alternative use of the PLA for security guards at the industrial enterprises.
On Wednesday, January 09, 2008, speaking at an event jointly held by the Marwadi Sewa Samiti Nepal and the Nepal National Marwadi Council in Kathmandu, CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda came out strongly against the Prime Minister Koirala’s statement on the integration of the PLA into the Nepali Army. He said that he personally would hold a talk with the Prime Minister on this issue seriously. Chairman Prachanda said that he had met with the generals of the Nepali Army twice: first at Hotel Ambassador in Kathmandu and second at the Summit hotel in Lalitpur to talk about the integration PLA into the Nepali Army.
On Friday morning, January 11, 2008, speaking to the Radio Nepal, Maoist Minister for Local Development Dev Gurung said that in the cabinet meeting Prime Minister Koirala explained to the ministers that his statement on the integration of PLA into the Nepali Army was twisted; he was not against the integration of the PLA into the Nepali Army; in due time he would tell this subject matter to the media.
