Issue of top rank to be given to Nepal’s ex-Maoist fighter remains thorniest in bigwigs’ meeting

KATHMANDU: Like earlier meetings, the four-party meeting held on Saturday also ended inclusively due to logjam in the highest rank given to the former Maoist fighters who are already in the Nepal Army.

Similarly, the politicians are also at odds regarding the content, especially the provision of general amnesty given to the war crimes, of the-would-be formed Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

UCPN (Maoist) leader Amik Sherchan said that the Nepali Congress leaders have expressed their reservation to the highest rank to be given to the former Maoist fighter while the UML leaders are objecting to the TRC.

During the meeting, the Maoist leaders had warned of ending the ongoing dialogue for consensus if the NC and UML leaders don’t agree to give a Colonel and two Lieutenant Colonels as the highest post to the senior most former Maoist fighter.

After the bigwigs’ meeting, UML Vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam said that the NC and UML were ready to give maximum of Lieutenant in the Nepal Army and the former guerilla themselves can be promoted upto that post once they passed the staff college course.

The major parties are expected to form the CJ-led election government soon once they settled all the issues related to the TRC and remaining task of the peace process. But, parties’ failure to strike a deal in these issues is likely to delay the fresh CA polls.