Defense Minister Bidhya Devi Bhandari has said Army Integration Special Committee (AISC) is going to be reconstituted under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.

Defense Minister Bidhya Bhandari speaks to the media during a press meet organized at Singha Durbar, Friday.

Speaking at a press conference organised by the defense ministry Friday, minister Bhandari said PM Nepal is going to chair the AISC as per the tradition set by the previous government.

At present, Maoist chairman and erstwhile Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is the chairman of AISC.

The Maoists have proposed for the continuation of Dahal as the Chairman of the AISC as the largest party in the CA.

As an alternative, Maoist leader Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai had claimed with UNMIN to give fifty percent seats in the committee to the Maoists if the PM is to chair it. However, the Maoists would get as many seats as would be proportional to the number of seats they have secured in the CA, Bhandari said.

There is a provision to take final decisions by a simple majority if a consensus is not reached in AISC.

Minister Bhandari also said the rehabilitation of the Maoist army should be completed before the Constitution is prepared. They will be allowed to join any of the security agencies provided they meet the eligibility, Bhandari said. nepalnews.com Jul 03 09