UNMIN chief intensifies effort to resume PLA verification
Chief of the United Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), Ian Martin, met with CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal Sunday afternoon and discussed the stalled verification of the Maoists' People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
At the meeting, Martin is learnt to have urged the UML general secretary to help forge consensus in the eight-party alliance for early resumption of the second stage verification of PLA combatants which has been deadlocked with the Maoist leadership refusing to continue with the process citing ‘political uncertainty’ and the recent promotion of Nepal Army generals.
As part of his effort to resume the verification process, the UNMIN chief had held discussion with Prime Minister GP Koirala on Friday. He is to hold a news conference on Monday to make clear UNMIN’s position over the verification row.
At a meeting on July 12, Maoist chairman Prachanda had told Martin that his party wanted to defer the verification process in view of the current “fluid political situation”.
The Maoists had opposed the promotion of army generals as well as the views expressed by army chief Rukmangdud Katawal, while addressing the NA ranks at a barrack, that the army would not tolerate extremist and anti-national activities.
After a long deadlock, the second phase verification had started on June 19 from the PLA divisional cantonment in Chulachuli, Ilam. The UNMIN had completed the verification in Chulachuli in eight days.
In the first phase, the UNMIN had registered 30,852 combatants and 3428 arms in seven PLA cantonment sites and 21 satellite camps. nepalnews.com mk July 15 07
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