Political parties in Nepal want term extension for UNMIN

Dharam Shourie

United Nations, July 19 (PTI) Main political parties in
Nepal want the U.N. Mission in Nepal to continue its programme
for at least another six months to help advance peace and
development in the country, a U.N. official said.
"The leaders of the three largest parties want a
scaled-down U.N. Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) to continue past
July 23 – when its current mandate expires," Ian Martin,
Secretary-General's Special Representative there told a
meeting of the Security Council.
"Each of them confirmed that they wished UNMIN to
continue as a special political mission, headed by a Special
Representative of the Secretary-General, in order to assist in
taking the peace process forward to its logical conclusion,"
he said.
UNMIN was established in January 2007 to help the
country, which emerged from a decade-long civil war that
claimed an estimated 13,000 lives until the Government and the
Maoists signed a peace accord in 2006, conduct its Constituent
Assembly elections.
It is also responsible for monitoring the management of
arms and armed personnel of the Communist Party of Nepal -
Maoist (C.P.N.-M.) and the Nepal Army, and assist in
monitoring ceasefire arrangements.
A broad-ranging agreement signed by the leaders of the
Seven-Party Alliance on June 25 constitutes the basis for
proceeding to the formation of a new government.
The agreement requires that the integration and
rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants should be carried out
within six months, and notes the need for UNMIN to continue
monitoring the management of arms and armies during the
period.