This report is issued by the UN RCHCO with inputs from its UN Field Coordination Offices and other partners and sources. The report covers January 2012. The next report will be issued the first week of February 2012.
CONTEXT
Political Update
The peace process remained under stress in January, with the parties divided on their priorities. Settling the fundamental issues in the constitution-drafting process (particularly around systems of governance) was the paramount UCPN-M priority, while the NC and UML attempted to maintain a singular focus on bringing the Integration and Rehabilitation of the Maoist army process to complete closure. Thematically, the parties remained gridlocked: categorization of Maoist army personnel depended on integration, integration on forms of governance, and forms of governance on a resolution to the internal Maoist policy contradictions. The State Restructuring Commission submitted its divided report to the Government and Constituent Assembly (CA) which brought an early debate on federal restructuring. Discussions continued on transitional justice issues and the parties were positioned to propose legislation that, in essence, provided for a blanket amnesty for gross human rights violations during the conflict. However, progress on the peace process negotiations and recently re-established levels of trust were under threat both across party lines but also within them. Severe fissures within the parties (particularly in the UCPN-M) had a direct impact on the peace process. The parties were also pre-occupied by the Maoist-led government‟s decision on 12 January to recognize conflict-era property purchases and registrations.