Debate on Nepali Army reform

  Experts against using term 'democratisation'

Added At:  2011-01-27 12:19 AM

   Last Updated At: 2011-01-27 12:19 AM

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HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Security experts have taken exception to the use of the term ‘democratisation of the Nepali Army’, which figures in the Interim Constitution and the Comprehensive Peace Accord, among others, arguing that such term is not suitable for an apolitical organisation. They said such a term will hinder NA’s reforms.

The experts, commenting on the draft paper of the Comprehensive Work-plan on Nepali Army’s Democratisation, after its presentation at a seminar of Nepal Institute for Policy Studies here today, reasoned it will be better to use the term ‘modernisation or restructuring’.

The work-plan, prepared by inter-minister committee under the Minister for Defence, is currently under consideration at the Cabinet’s State Affairs Committee for approval. “I had never heard or read words like ‘democratisation of army’ before. Army is itself a non-democratic institution, such a word may mislead the objective of Nepali Army’s reform,” said Dr Deepak Prakash Bhatta, who wrote his PhD dissertation on the NA, adding, “It would be more correct to use words like reform, modernisation, or restructuring of the Nepal Army in the draft.”

Senior Advocate Vishwo Kanta Mainali, advocates Kumar Regmi, Rudra Sharma, ex-army officials Kesher Bahadur Bhandari, Deepak Gurung, CA member Gopal Singh Bohara shared the same view.

By using the term democratisation in reference to army’s reform, there would be the danger of political leadership’s influence and interference within the army, Lieutenant General (Rtd) Balananda Sharma warned. “Professionalisation of Army would be a correct term,” suggested Sharma, coordinator at the Secretariat of Special Committee for Supervision, Integration and Rehabilitation of PLA Combatants.

However, Dr Paul Jackson, Professor at the University of Birmingham, UK, stated the term of ‘democratisation of army’ should be considered as legal control over its functioning, civilian oversight upon it and inclusiveness within every aspect of the army.

Defence Secretary Nabin Ghimire, who had presented the work-plan draft at the seminar, argued that the term democratisation was not put to mean political influence or to break army’s institutional discipline, but rather to make the organisation more efficient, transparent and responsible.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal expressed hope the suggestions made at the seminar will be helpful in making the work-plan more comprehensive.

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Debate+on+Nepali+Army+reform&NewsID=274542

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Monitoring mechanism gets full shape

Added At:  2011-01-25 12:07 AM  

Last Updated At: 2011-01-25 12:07 AM

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LEKHANATH PANDEY

KATHMANDU: Two days after Maoist PLA fighters were officially handed over to the Special Committee (for supervision, integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants), SC today gave final shape to its monitoring mechanism.

A meeting of SC today named members of the monitoring mechanism that comprises four representatives each from SC and its Secretariat and one from Maoist PLA combatants.

Barsha Man Pun of the UCPN-Maoist, Ram Sharan Mahat of Nepali Congress, Ishwor Pokharel of UML and Jitendra Dev of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic will represent SC in the nine-member monitoring mechanism. Balananda Sharma of NC, Chandra Prakash Khanal of UCPN-Maoist, Gopal Singh Bohara of UML and Mahesh B Karki of the Nepali Army will join the mechanism from the Secretariat. In addition, PLA commander Nanda Kishor Pun will represent the Maoist party.

A three-point deal reached between PM Nepal and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on January 14 has it that ‘a six-member monitoring mechanism will be formed comprising three representatives each from SC and its Secretariat’. However, following Tarai-based parties’ demand to include their representative also, the mechanism has been expanded to a nine-member committee. Today’s inclusions were: UCPN-M’s Nanda Kishor Pun, MJF-D’s Dev and UML’s Bohara.

The first-ever SC meeting today since PLA fighters were handed over to SC also hailed the change of guard of former Maoist fighters.

“We reviewed PLA handover function. As it was an important day in the peace process, we approved a proposal to extend thanks to all those who largely contributed to make the function a success,” Maoist representative in SC Janardan Sharma told THT. “Our gratitude goes especially to the PM, Maoist chairman and PLA combatants.”

PM Nepal and Chairman Dahal had signed a PLA handover agreement and exchanged it on Saturday in Shaktikhor during an official handover ceremony.

Today’s meeting also directed the Secretariat to prepare a work plan for PLA integration and rehabilitation at the earliest

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/rssReference.php?headline=Monitoring+mechanism+gets+full+shape&NewsID=274286

Secretariat submits action plan

Added At:  2010-12-19 11:46 PM

   Last Updated At: 2010-12-20 11:46 PM

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TIKA R PRADHAN

KATHMANDU: The Secretariat under the Special Committee for the Supervision, Integration and Rehabilitation of Maoist combatants today submitted a month-long action plan to the Special Committee though the Maoist representatives had expressed reservations over it.

The top leaders of the three major parties are scheduled to hold talks on contentious issues, including the peace process on Monday afternoon.

However, PLA commander Barshaman Pun said his party would move remaining tasks of the peace process unilaterally if the three leaders failed to agree on peace process course.

Pun said the standing committee meeting of the party to be held on Monday would also discuss the issue of army integration. He said the Secretariat today distributed the copy of the month-long action plan to the members of the Special Committee on what the Secretariat could do before UNMIN’s exit. “We will explore the action plan only if the parties forged an agreement on the peace process,” he added.

Unified CPN-Maoist representatives had submitted their reservation against the action plan to the Special Committee. They have been demanding a political decision on Agreement on Monitoring of the Management of the Arms and the Armies and legal status of the Special Committee, besides simultaneous package deal on the modalities of integration before taking a final decision. They stated that unless the parties agreed to address the two concerns no agreement would be made even if the Maoist representatives in the Secretariat attended the meetings.

The Secretariat has devised five-phase integration and rehabilitation plan that includes formation of supervision mechanism comprising either ex-security personnel or serving security personnel, along with PLA members, before January 15, when UNMIN’s extended tenure expires.

In the second phase, a survey will be conducted to determine the number of combatants willing to be integrated in the security forces and show willingness to rehabilitation package and return to the society. They will be issued separate identity cards and regrouped.

In the next phase, they will be relocated. Those willing to integrate with security forces will be kept together in a camp of any of the security forces.

After completion of all these tasks the secretariat would continue monitoring the combatants until they are integrated with the security forces.

Maoist concerns

• Political decision must be taken regarding the AMMAA and legal status of the Special Committee

• Both the modalities of integration and rehabilitation should be dealt in a package simultaneously before taking final decision

• Unless the parties agree on the above-mentioned two points no agreement would be made even if the Maoist representatives in the secretariat attend the meetings

http://thehimalayantimes.com/fullTodays.php?headline=Secretariat+submits+action+plan+&NewsID=270092

Blueprint for PLA takeover unveiled

• Sectretariat plans to dissociate combatants from party by Dec

PHANINDRA DAHAL

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KATHMANDU, DEC 02 -

A day after the appointment of its coordinator, the Special Committee Secretariat

has initiated discussion over an actionplan that will enforce the government’s supervision over the Maoist combatants living under the UN monitoring by the

end of this month.

Coordinator of the 12-member body retired Lieut. Gen. Balananda Sharma handed over a preliminary plan of action to Chief Secretary Madhav Ghimire on Wednesday. The action plan aims to detach the former rebel soldiers from the chain of command of the Maoist party by the end of December, Sharma told the Post.

The plan of action has asked the government to make immediate arrangement for the recruitment of 154 retired personnel of different security agencies for enforcing the Special Committee’s supervision at the Maoist cantonment sites. As per the plan, 7 ex-security personnel will be deployed at each of the seven main cantonment sites to monitor the weapon storage containers and five personnel will be stationed for supervising each of the satellite cantonments.

According to a source, a 24-hour situation monitoring and operation centre will be installed at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction to keep the cantonments under the government’s surveillance and carry out necessary instructions. Four representatives each from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and People’s Liberation Army will maintain round the clock vigilance at the 28 cantonment sites from the centre. 

The action plan has also proposed shifting the regional cantonment management office located currently at the district headquarters of the main cantonment sites. The office will have to submit its daily, weekly and fortnightly reports on the overall situation of the cantonments to the secretariat. This has been already stipulated in the directives related to the supervision, command and control and code of conduct endorsed by the special panel on Sept. 17.

It has also asked the government to arrange 18 civil servants led by Joint Secretary at the secretariat and 5 civil servants in each of the main cantonment sites to look after the logistics. 

Earlier Nepal Peace Trust Fund had agreed to finance the Secretariat. The multi-donor fund created by the government with the support of the UN has committed Rs. 100 million for the secretariat. 

On Wednesday, Sharma intimated details of the proposed action plan with other secretariat members. He has requested Maoist representative Chandra Prakash Khanal to consult with the party leadership so that the plan can be finalised during the UN Under-Secretary General of Political Affair B Lynn Pascoe’s visit to Nepal. 

“If the proposal of recruitment and infrastructure is endorsed by the government this week, we can establish the command of the Special Committee over the cantonments within this month,” said Sharma. “We are working to ensure that the Special Committee takes the command over the cantonments two weeks before the departure of UNMIN.”  Another member of the secretariat Deepak Prakash Bhatta said the plan will be implemented once the Maoist representatives consent to it. “The action plan is under discussion. “We are ready to bring the combatants under the government but the chain of command of the People’s Liberation Army will continue hand in hand unless there is agreement among parties on the modality of integration and rehabilitation,” said Khanal.

“We have no objection to transferring the combatants under the government command and control following a special ceremony to mark the handover. But the Special Committee should fix the date for the handover.”

Proposal’s fundamentals

•    To bring all the 28 cantonment sites under the Special Committee by Dec-end

•    Recruitment of 154 former security personnel for supervision of cantonments

•    Installation of 24-hour situation monitoring and operation centre at the MoPR

•    Shifting cantonment management office from district HQ to main cantonment site

•    Maoists want PLA’s chain of command remained intact unless modality is finalised. 

Toreng urges downsizing NA

KATHMANDU:  The Norwegian Government’s Special Envoy for Peace Tore Toreng has recommended to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala that the Nepal Army be downsised and democratised to reflect the new political set-up.

Due to the cost effective measures it is necessary to downsise the number of NA while it heads to the integration and rehabilitation process, Koirala quoted  Toreng as saying.

In a meeting with Koirala, the visiting envoy expressed hope that Nepal’s ongoing peace process will land smoothly following UNMIN’s exit in mid-January.

“I met Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal recently and he conveyed to me that UNMIN will not stay here after mid-January. All the responsibility that is currently being carried out by the UNMIN will be handed over to the Special Committee Secretariat. I advised him for a smooth landing of the peace process here,” she quoted Toreng as saying.  (PR)

Posted on: 2010-12-02 08:51

http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/12/02/editors-pick/blueprint-for-pla-takeover-unveiled/325893/

ISC secretariat plans to take over management and monitoring of PLA cantonments before UNMIN term ends

Thursday, 02 December 2010 10:01

Share this  Twitter  Myspace  Digg  Del.icio.us  Slashdot  Furl  Yahoo  Googlize this  Blinklist  Facebook  Wikio Export PDF Print E-mail Newly appointed coordinator of the secretariat formed by Army Integration Special Committee (AISC) to manage and monitor arms and former combatants staying in various cantonments across the country, Balananda Sharma, has prepared an action plan to take over the management and monitoring of the cantonments before United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) wraps up its operation in Nepal. Balananda Sharma (File photo) Sharma called a meeting of the secretariat Wednesday, one day after his appointment as coordinator, and presented his plan before the secretariat members and also apprised chief secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire and Acting Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar about the logistic and manpower requirements. According to the plan presented by Sharma, a central Operation and Situation Centre and a security mechanism in each camp will monitor the former combatants and the arms, while a central Administration Section with representation in each camp will look after the monitoring. At present, the Joint Monitoring and Coordination Committee (JMCC) chaired by UNMIN is looking after the monitoring of arms and the former combatants in the cantonments, while the Ministry for Peace and Reconstruction (MoPR) is looking after the management. Sharma has proposed to constitute the Operation and Situation Centre with sixteen senior security officers including four officers each from Nepal Army (NA), Nepal Police (NP), Armed Police Force (APF) and People's Liberation Army (PLA). The Centre will operate 24 hours a day with three officers working in eight hour shifts and four officers in standby for back-up. The centre will be supported by monitoring mechanisms comprising of seven ex-security personnel in seven major camps and five ex-security personnel in 21 satellite camps. Likewise, the management of the cantonments will be overseen by an Administrative Division headed by a joint secretary of Nepal government. The head office of the Division will have two sections - planning and financial administration - each headed by an under-secretary comprising of 16 to 18 civil service employees including section officers, account officers, engineers, junior officers, and drivers. In addition, there will be five civil service employees in each camp for the management of the combatants. Sharma said, the representatives of other parties at the secretariat had already given their consent for the plan, while those of Unified CPN (Maoist) have said they would decide after consulting the party leadership. The handing over of the management and monitoring mechanisms can be completed within a month if an agreement is reached and permission to begin the recruitments given within a week, said Sharma. Sharma further said, the plan needs to complete before UNMIN wraps up. UNMIN term is ending on January 15. The secretariat comprises of Sharma and Shambhuram Simkhada referred by Nepali Congress, Chandra Prakash Khanal and Kul Bahadur KC referred by Unified CPN (Maoist), Bhatta and Gopal Singh Bohara referred by UML, Sadanda Prasad Kurmi and Ramananda Mishra referred by Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, brigadier general Mahesh Karki from Nepal Army, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Keshab Bahadur Shahi from Nepal Police and DIG Singha Bahadur Shrestha from APF. UCPN (Maoist) is yet to refer one representative from People's Liberation Army (PLA) for the secretariat. The party is likely to refer one of the division commanders - most likely Yam Bahadur Adhikari, the commander of the first division - to the secretariat. However, UCPN (Maoist) has said, the chain-of-command will not be handed over to the AISC until a clear model for integration and rehabilitation is finalised. Maoist military in-charge and member at the AISC Barsha Man Pun said, the secretariat will take over the command only after the modality of integration and rehabilitation is finalised. nepalnews.com

http://www.nepalnews.com/main/index.php/news-archive/2-political/11222-aisc-secretariat-plans-to-take-over-management-and-monitoring-of-pla-cantonments-before-unmin-term-ends.html