Nepal Maoists hail 'historic' deal as path to peace

Nepal's former Maoist rebels said Wednesday that a deal to integrate thousands of their fighters into the army will finally set the country on the road to peace, five years after the end of civil war. The breakthrough deal on the status of 19,000 rebel fighters, who have been confined to camps since the end of hostilities, raises hopes that the deadlock on drafting a new constitution can finally be broken. "This is a historic step toward completing the peace process and drafting the constitution," Dinanath Sharma, a spokesman for the ruling Maoist party, said. "This will help implement the remaining tasks (of the peace process) and lead to a practical conclusion." Nepal, an impoverished Himalayan nation, has had a barely functioning government since the end of the 10-year conflict in 2006 that claimed 16,000, lives and the abolition of the unpopular monarchy in 2008. Lawmakers in the constituent assembly, where the Maoist party is the biggest group but does not have a majority, have wrangled for three years over the peace deal, sapping the optimism seen at the end of the fighting. "After more than three years of prolonged political deadlock which almost derailed Nepal's transition, parties have finally managed to get the peace and constitutional process back on track," Kathmandu-based political commentator Prashant Jha told AFP, describing the deal as "historic". Under the agreement, the army will take in 6,500 former fighters and the remainder will receive a pay-off of between 500,000 and 800,000 Nepali rupees ($6,300-$10,200). The United States hailed the "landmark" breakthrough and called on leaders to implement its terms, while the United Nations also broadly welcomed the deal. Robert Piper, the head of the UN in Nepal, said on Twitter: "Implementation challenges and questions ahead yes, but a road map for the future of the Maoist army is finally illuminated. Great news/relief." The Kathmandu-based EU missions issued a joint statement with Norway and Switzerland welcoming "the fresh consensus among the political parties" and pledging support for the months ahead. The four major parties of Nepal had spent two days debating the deal. They also agreed weapons used by former Maoist fighters would be handed in to the state, a "peace and reconciliation commission" would be formed, and land seized by the Maoists would be returned to its original owners. Attention will now turn to completing a new constitution, which will aim to enshrine the rights and equality of the country's 26 million mostly Hindu inhabitants. The parties agreed to stick with a November 30 deadline for completing the constitution, though many observers expect this target will be difficult to meet. The constituent assembly has been extended three times after failing to reach a consensus on the document, which will pave the way for fresh elections and, it is hoped, to post-war development. "The agreement we signed yesterday is a milestone in our efforts to conclude the peace and constitution-making process," Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun, of the Maoist party, said. The International Crisis Group (ICG) think-tank described the deal as the "best chance in three years" for progress towards lasting peace. "It contains specifics on how to go about getting the fighters out of the cantonments and without that happening, there is never going to be movement on the constitution," said ICG senior analyst Anagha Neelakantan. Neelakantan said she expected the constitution to be agreed in the next year, with elections likely in 2013. The United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office agreed that a "democratic and inclusive" new constitution was now within Nepal’s grasp. "We encourage the parties to continue demonstrating the statesmanship, courage and flexibility that has allowed this progress as they implement the agreement in the coming days and weeks," a spokesman said in statement. The deal has official cross-party support but has led to a schism within the Maoist party, with minority hardliners voicing criticism. Mohan Baidya, right-hand man of former guerrilla leader Puspa Kamal Dahal, said Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai had "gone against the decision of our party". Baidya said the deal amounted to a surrender by the former rebel fighters and "must be revoked". More than 1,000 Baidya supporters took to the streets of Kathmandu, chanting anti-agreement slogans and waving black flags.