KATHMANDU: The standing committee member of the UCPN-Maoist Barsha Man Pun 'Ananta' today said that process to integration and rehabilitation of their combatants would not start until they get the assurance that constitution would be promulgated on the stipulated time.

Speaking at an interaction programme organised by Nepal Institute of Policies Studies on integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants, Pun stated that integration process and constitution drafting process should begin simultaneously. "As both issues are seriously linked with one another, hamper on one will automatically affect the another," he said urging leaders not to take the issue of integration in isolation.

He said that they were ready to discuss the different modalities of army integration adopted in different countries. "The model followed in South Africa can be adopted here."

Speaking on the occasion, senior Nepali Army officer Pawan Panday, however, said it was not the best model of integration that was adopted in South Africa. "There were many loopholes with that model, which we can easily know if we study the post integration condition of South African army."

Minister for Peace Rakam Chemjong said the government would soon reshuffle the Special Committee which would start its rehabilitation and integration works.

Nepali Congress leader Ram Sharan Mahat expressed concerns as the Maoists were still giving political trainings to the combatants though they were now under the Special Committee.