Constituent Assembly (CA) formally enters into the process of drafting the new constitution; Debate over the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants continues; Calls made for UNMIN’s extension;
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    • The Constituent Assembly (CA) formally entered into the process of drafting the new constitution with the passage of the detailed schedule of drafting procedures. As per the approved schedule, the election to the post of vice-chairman of the CA will take place on November 28 and the various subject committees will be formed by mid-December and their action plans will be ready by the end of December. The new constitution would be ready by May 20101.

    Although the CA process looks almost finalized, political parties in Nepal are still struggling to find a solution to the integration issue. While the Nepali Congress (NC) has been opposing the idea, the Maoists are in favour of group integration. The CPN-UML on its part has argued for the integration of only eligible cadres into the Nepal Army (NA). The general secretary of the CPN- UML, Jhal Nath Khanal had recently ruled out the possibility of any person who was not a member of the NA from becoming its chief. He had charged that the Maoists were planning to appoint commander of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Nanda Kishor Pun 'Pasang', as the chief of the NA to stage a political coup2.

    Meanwhile, some PLA divisions reportedly undertook a 22-day refresher course related to warfare, weapons and other issues over possible integration into the NA3. Reports noted that senior PLA commanders had expressed their willingness to join the NA and to do work ranging from developmental activities to border security. They have also warned of a civil war if the integration process was not resolved logically.

    UN envoy to Nepal Ian Martin, noting that despite considerable political progress, the task assigned to the UNMIN cannot be completed before the end of its current mandate on January 23, has called for an extension of its mandate. No official request was however placed before Kathmandu in this regard4. India on its part has urged the Nepali government to accomplish the task of army integration on the basis of consensus among political parties5.

    In a major boost to the ongoing peace process, the Nepali government has initiated dialogue with the illegal armed groups operating in the Terai region. Minister for Local Development and a member of the government team, Ram Chandra Jha, stated that preparations were being made to hold dialogue with the insurgent groups operating in the Terai. Jha noted that the government had so far held informal talks with 14 armed groups6. He also indicated that the process would be incomplete without the involvement of the Jantantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha-Jaya Krishna Goit (JTMM-G). He however admitted that it would be meaningless to hold dialogue with JTMM-G as the group still called for the country's disintegration.

    At the 2nd summit of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Scientific, Technical and Economic Cooperation) which concluded in New Delhi during the week, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal urged a "shared commitment" and "concerted effort" to tackle poverty and lack of food security in South Asia. He stated that Nepal was ready to host an international conference on poverty reduction to address such regional development challenges. Pointing out Nepal’s immense hydro-power potential, Mr. Dahal invited investments from interested countries to tap its benefits7.

    On the sidelines of the Summit, Dahal met Dr. Manmohan Singh and discussed the ongoing peace process in his country. While Mr. Dahal expressed his commitment to complete the process of constitution writing within the stipulated time, Dr. Singh stressed on the need to follow politics of understanding. Border issues and the Kosi flood also figured in the talks. Mr Dahal also reportedly pressed for the release of nearly 100 Maoist activists lodged in various jails in India8.

    At the BIMSTEC Summit, member states pledged to cooperate in a number of areas, including climate change, and in combating international terrorism and transnational crime. The BIMSTEC decided to set up four regional centres. Of these, BIMSTEC Energy Centre and BIMSTEC Weather and Climate Centre will be set up in India. BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Commission and the BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory would be set up in Bhutan and BIMSTEC Poverty Centre would be established in Bangladesh. Nepal's hope of hosting a tourism centre did not materialise.

    The summit also decided to improve transportation and communication linkages and enhance connectivity among member states. It acknowledged the BIMSTEC Transport Infrastructure and Logistics Study (BTILS) conducted by the ADB as an important first step in identifying bottlenecks and suggesting ways to overcome them. The summit however failed to take concrete decisions on two issues. These included the BIMSTEC Convention on Combating International Terrorism, Trans-national Organised Crime and Illicit Drug Trafficking and the formation of the proposed free trade infrastructure9.

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