With the Nepali Congress and the Maoists playing the game of brinkmanship, we are back to walking on thin ice. Just like the eight parties are having to take a stand on the monarchy and on federalism, they are also going to have to take a stand each on the army as a first step, and then try to seek common ground as a second step.
UML Thoughts On Interim Constitution
Critiquing The Nepali Congress Proposed Constitution
Critiquing The Maoist Proposed Constitution
Baburam Bhattarai, Janadesh Article
Fire Some Generals
Interim Monarchy, Interim Army, Interim Parliament
Interim Army: You Can Walk And Chew Gum At The Same Time
Moriarty Was Wrong On The 12 Point Agreement
Political Decisions, House Dissolution, Maoist Transformation
Gang Of Four And Mao And Girija And Pyar Jung
Two Armies: What To Do
Rubbing The Maoist Nose In The Dust Is Not Smart
Okay For Maoists To Join Government Before Arms Management
International Sanctions On Nepal Army Have To Continue
Abolish The Monarchy, Abolish The Army
Monarchy, Army, Federalism
Shobhakar Budhathoki: Transitioning The “Royal” Nepal Army
Pyar Jung's Toys
We Took Care Of The King, Pyar Jung Is Small Fry
Dismantle The Two Armies
Reciprocate The Maoist Ceasefire Immediately
Army Under Parliament, Now
Army Or No Army
That is the first question. The eight parties are going to have to face it. I personally am a strong proponent of dismantling both armies. (Paying For Democracy) That is the best way to get rid of the cloud of fear hanging upon the population. That is the tidiest way to permanent peace.
Say the eight parties reach a consensus decision that they do want an army after all.
What Size Army
That becomes the next question. Each of the eight parties will have to come to a number on their own. Say the Nepali Congress says 60,000, the Maoists say 10,000, and all the others are somewhere in between. Then they will have to talk and then reach a consensus decision. Let's say they reach the figure of 30,000.
Criteria For Enlisting
Then the eight parties are going to have to agree on the criteria for enlisting for each level in the army. Army Chief, Generals, Colonels, Majors, Captains, Soldiers.
It might look like this.
Army Chief: Has to be a General or a Colonel in the Nepal Army.
Generals: Have to be Generals or Colonels in the Nepal Army.
Colonels: Have to be Colonels or Majors in either army.
Majors: Have to be Majors or Captains in either army.
Captains: Have to be Captains in either army.
Soldiers: Can be soldiers in either army or anyone from outside and have to meet the physical requirements. Has to be at least 33% women, and at least 50% DaMaJaMa.
The selection for Army Chief, Generals, Colonels, Majors, Captains will also aspire to the gender and ethnic compositions that look like Nepal.
Additional professional criteria will also apply at each level, and will be prepared in consultation with the two armies by an eight party team. Outside professional expertise can also be sought.
Disarm The Two Armies
Then you disarm the two armies. Both will go into barracks. All of their weapons will be taken and stored away. Once disarmed, they will be kept busy. They will be given ample opportunities for physical training. Both will be fed by the state. Both will get commanded by the Interim Prime Minister who will not be a Maoist.
Voluntary Retirement
All 90,000 soldiers in the Nepal Army and the 36,000 soldiers in the Maoist Army will be given the option to take a voluntary retirement. Foreign aid will be sought to get them integrated into the civilian economy. They will be offered education, vocational training, job placements, business loans. All of them will transition into income brackets comparable to their incomes when they were in the army.
Of the 126,000 say a little over half take it. You are still left with 60,000. You annonce that half of them will not get selected. You offer a second round of voluntary retirement. By now you have stories of soldiers that went out the first round and are doing well. They are well taken care of.
Build Army From Scratch
You would start at the top. First you would decide on an Army Chief. Then Generals, and so on. At the Colonel, Major and Captai levels, you will make an attempt to give the Maoists 20% as long as they meet the criteria.
Once you have the Army Chief to the Captains in place, you will start recruiting the soldiers. These are former Nepal Army people, former PLA people, and anyone else interested and fit enough.
An Army That Looks Like Nepal In Terms Of Diversity
You end up with a 30,000 strong army that looks like Nepal in composition and is completely meritocratic top to bottom.
This whole process can take about six months. Those who will get helped to ease into the civilian economy might take years if they are going the higher education route. And that's okay.
Clear Roadmap Needed
We need a clear roadmap like this one that all eight parties agree on. That is the only way to get the massive foreign aid necessary to help 75% of the soldiers ease into the civilian economy. Fuzzy talk will get us nowhere, and might end up costing us the peace.
Then: Constituent Assembly
Elections can be held then.
As soon as both armies get rid of their weapons, an eight party interim parliament can be formed. And an eight party interim government. And elections can be held any time after that. The army management part becomes a parallel track after that.
In The News
100 days of the reinstated parliament: Hits and Misses NepalNews
Thousands join in civil society demo in the capital
Probe commission grills four senior army officials
Economy has become like a chariot with broken wheel: Dhakal
Govt.-Maoists fail to reach into consensus on arms management
UML chief criticizes government, Maoists
Nepse declines by a whopping 30.90 percent
Maoist ready to destroy weapons: Mahara
PM Koirala to discuss arms management with Maoist leadership
Nepal set to seize land owned by king Seattle Post Intelligencer
Maoists to destroy arms if Nepal goes Republic India Monitor, UK
UN Team Wraps Up Visit to Nepal OhmyNews International, South Korea
Nepal: Where leaders want weak women Financial Express.bd, Bangladesh
First dental surgeon of Nepal passes away Nepalnews.com, Nepal
King should be given space: Nepali PM People's Daily Online, China Girija Prasad Koirala said on Sunday that the King should also be given a space in democracy to prevent him from being frustrated ...... Koirala's fresh remarks on monarchy have come contrary to the suggestions of his own Nepali Congress (NC) political party to the Interim Constitution Drafting Committee last week.
Nepal’s women bear brunt of war Kantipur Publications
Even king should be given a space in democracy: PM Koirala
Speaker inaugurates FNCCI meet, stresses on inclusive democracy
Aryal urges undestanding on key issues
CA elections not possible with existing HoR, says Gurung
ँराजालाई पनि स्थान दिनुपर्छ’
सैनिक सचिवसँग बयान
राजा-सेना चाँडो छुट्याऊ’
संसद् विघटन गर्न माग
हामीसँग वार्ता गर ः माओवादी पीडित
माओवादी हतियारसहित गाउँगाउँमा माओवादी हातहतियारसहित दार्चुलाका गाउँगाउँ डुल्न थालेका छन् । गाउँमा उनीहरू दैनिक कम्ब्याट ड्रेसमा मार्चपास गर्दै हिंडेका छन् । मार्चपासमा सर्वसाधारणलाई अनिवार्य उपस्थित गराउने गरेको छ । कार्यक्रममा विद्यालय बन्द गर्नसमेत दबाब दिने गरेको शंकरपुरका एक शिक्षकले कान्तिपुरलाई टेलिफोनमा बताए- 'कार्यक्रममा अनिवार्य उपस्थितिका लागि पत्र पठाए तर हामी सहभागी भएनौं ।' करिब डेढ सयको संख्यामा कम्ब्याट ड्रेससहित माओवादी गाउँगाउँ डुल्दा सर्वसाधारण त्रसित हुने गरेको उनले बताए । ' सहरमा एकथोक बोल्ने गरेको सुनिन्छ, गाउँमा भने बन्दुक बोक्दै नाच्दै हिंडेको ती सर्वसाधारणले बताए । गाउँमा सर्वसाधारण, शिक्षक, विद्यार्थी तथा कर्मचारीसित गणतन्त्रबारे छलफल गर्दै हिंडे पनि राजनीतिक दलका नेता कार्यकर्तालाई सहभागी नगराएको उनले बताए ।
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