--By Sagar Ghimire 

 

With the induction of 70 former Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army (NA) at officer levels at the Military Academy last Monday, the army integration, a key element of Nepal’s peace process, formally came to a conclusion after seven years of protracted transitional period. 

 

In 2006, when the former rebel CPN-Maoist joined mainstream politics, the integration of the former guerilla into the state army was a bone of contention among political parties. The idea was perceived by non-Maoist forces along with the NA as a ploy of the former communist rebel to infiltrate non-political institutions with  communist dogma. 

 

The army integration process was considered to be a most challenging and sensitive aspect of Nepal’s home-grown peace process. Though the seven-year long integration process observed complications, mistrust and dillydallying among stake-holders of peace building efforts, the process gathered some momentum after the NA showed some flexibility to accommodate the former guerillas.

 

The integration process in a unique way offers important lessons to the international community and also might be replicated in other countries in post-conflict period.  NA and the former combatants, who had fought against each other during the decade long war, should be patted on the back for this accomplishment. 

 

They did not only maintain a high degree of restraint during these seven years of volatile and fragile situation, but later also agreed to accept each other as colleagues in the same institution. This achievement has obviously elated people who have witnessed the horror of war for more than a decade. 

 

However, as propagated by a section of media and political parties, the landmark achievement in the integration front itself is not the full accomplishment of the peace process. Agreed that it was a key component, equally important are issues like the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission on Enforced Disappearances, security and justice sector reformation, preparation and implementation of a minimum common programme of socio-economic transformation and formulation of scientific land reform policies, among others. Some of the agenda of Nepal’s peace process are yet to receive significant attention while others have been completely overlooked by concerned stakeholders. 

 

The topmost priority and a larger part of Nepal’s peace process is the promulgation of a new constitution through an elected Constituent Assembly that will ensure a federal democratic republic set-up. 

 

The promise from leaders of political parties to promulgate a new constitution through the elected Constituent Assembly is yet to be delivered. 

 

The first two years of the CA witnessed wrangling among the Maoist and non-Maoist forces on whether the integration process should be completed before the constitution drafting or whether it should go hand in hand. The remaining two years of the CA were squandered in the debate on federalism. Eventually, the institution met a tragic fate of dissolution without delivering a constitution, shattering the peoples’ dream for peace.

 

Political leaders boasting that they have successfully concluded the peace process without delivering a new constitution is merely a sign of complacence. 

 

Amid celebrations of the success of 70 former combatants’ integration into the NA as officers, the issue of over four thousand former combatants who were tagged as disqualified during the UN verification process has not bothered the government and parties as much.  

 

 

Humiliated by expulsion with a ‘disqualified’ tag in their identity, they had even hit the streets a year back with a few demands. If not properly addressed and rehabilitated, these former combatants, most of them who possess armed tactics and skills coupled with violent mentality, can pose a serious challenge to society. These former combatants could be manipulated by any force, particularly the breakaway CPN-Maoist towards violent activities.