A paean to PLA sacrifice‚ NA leadership

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai today expressed joy over the completion of the army integration process, though some technical aspects of the coming together of two armies are yet to be taken care of.

Addressing the nation this evening, Prime Minister Bhattarai claimed that an era has ended with the completion of the army integration, leading the nation towards dynamic and creative politics by shunning violent political practices.

“Only some technical glitches remain that will be plugged soon,” he said, adding, “This is a historical achievement of Nepal’s peace process.”

He thanked the Maoists, the Nepali Army, political parties, and former PLAs for making this happen.

Bhattarai praised former PLAs for their ‘sacrifice’ that helped the political movement to get so far. “The achievements of your (former PLAs) contribution could only be institutionalised by drafting a progressive constitution,” he said. People will not forgive if anyone tried to block the constitution drafting process on whatever pretext, he added.

He also urged the top leaders of the parties to begin discussion to forge consensus on the contentious issues of the new constitution pronto. He, not only praised former PLAs, but also the top leadership of NA for playing highly responsible role to make the army integration successful.

“Now we have an integrated security force and I am expecting a quality service to the nation and the people in a disciplined manner, leaving behind all enmities they had in the past,” he said.

The PM added that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the commission on the disappeared people were in the pipeline and would be formed within a week or two.

The PM told the dissenting faction of Unified CPN-Maoist that revolution is not carried out with emotion but through consciousness. He also urged them — especially combatants and commanders — not to suspect the process of integration. He said the government had been working on National Security Policy, democratisation of Nepali Army and restructuring of the National Security Council as demanded by the radical faction of the Maoists.

The PM also stressed on the need to form national consensus government to complete the remaining tasks of new constitution. “At a time when the peace process has taken a giant leap I would like to appeal to all the parties to turn this government into the national consensus government as soon as possible,” he said, adding that he was always ready for whatever contribution he could make for the consensus government.

PM Bhattarai said backtracking from the identity based federalism would lead the nation towards unending conflict once again.