KATHMANDU: Samuel Tamrat, Director, Asia and Pacific Division, Department of Political Affairs at the United Nations and UNMIN Chief Karen Landgren today met Nepali Congress acting president Sushil Koirala and NC Parliamentary Party (PP) leader Ram Chandra Paudel and discussed UNMIN’s role at the NC PP office.

Paudel said, “We suggested that UNMIN’s role should be made effective in monitoring the Maoist combatants as the constitution-drafting process is linked with the management of Maoist combatants.” The NC leaders told Tamrat and Landgren that the new constitution cannot be promulgated leaving

the task of managing the combatants undone. “The constitution can

neither be promulgated nor be implemented before managing the combatants,” Paudel added.

The NC leaders, during the meeting, expressed regret over the trainings being organised for combatants by the Unified CPN-Maoist in cantonments and said it was violation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. They also requested UN representatives to provide the government the details of combatants for the purpose of managing them.

“We also requested the UNMIN for not to equate national army with the Maoist combatants,” Paudel said.