KATHMANDU: People's Liberation Army (PLA) of the Unified CPN-Maoists is bracing up to celebrate its ninth anniversary in the capital.

The grand function, which is slated for February 13, is going to be held at the Dasharath Stadium, said Nanda Kishor Pun 'Pasang', the commander of the outfit -- PLA. He said that preparations were going on a war-footing to immortalise the birth of the PLA by celebrating it on February 13 -- the founding of the outfit -- with much fanfare. Pun was addressing a function organised here to mark 'fourth Sunil memorial day.'

PLA chief, however, ruled out the possibility of all the PLA members stationed at the cantonments and camps to attend the celebration in Kathmandu.

"We are also seeking support from different sectors to make the function successful," he said.

Pun 'Pasang' further said the new generation should help make the dreams of the martyrs come true.

Speaking on the occasion, standing committee member of the UCPN Maoist and chief of the foreign department, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, said Kim Bahadur Thapa 'Sunil' was the 'martyr' of democratic movement.

He said that Sunil was killed by the government forces at a time when the Maoists and other parties were preparing for the 12-point agreement.

"We should propose him as a martyr of the Loktantrik movement for he sacrificed his life in the struggle for change in the country," he said. He hailed Sunil for his extraordinary contribution to the party claiming that the party's hold on the eastern Rolpa was the result of his contribution.

He also said Sunil had the combination of both political and military skills.

Mahara, meanwhile, claimed that parties were reluctant to go beyond the 1990's constitution. He also urged the participants to read the 'Atmabritanta' of BP Koirala, in which Koirala has confessed that his only mistake was that he could not keep the army under the elected government.

He also said the then Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala had to resign when army refused to go to Holeri of Rolpa in July 2001 to fight against Maoists.

"Prachanda had also resigned on the similar ground," he added.

Commenting on the Singapore tape, Mahara said, "I saw the footage circulated here but none of the pictures resembled the truth," he claimed.

He also clarified that Girija Prasad Koirala and Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' had only agreed to make the high level political mechanism and they had agreed to finalise everything after returning to Nepal. "This media report was nothing but the ploy to sabotage our movement and the ongoing attempts to find the solution to the political deadlock," he said.

He said his party is undergoing investigation on this issue and will make it public as soon as the result arrives.