Disarming of the Maoists in Nepal should be matched by similar steps for the Royal Nepal Army, which is still under the King's command, senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury has said.
Coverage: The Nepal Crisis
"The Royal Nepal Army (RNA) still remains under the command of the King. Any process of disarming of the Maoists must be matched to the inch by corresponding steps for the RNA," he said in an article in party organ People's Democracy.
The CPI(M) leader, who was in touch with the Seven-Party Alliance and the Maoists during the recent developments in Nepal, also advocated a role for the United Nations to bring the left extremists to the mainstream and ensure fairness and transparency in the process of ushering in democracy.
"These (steps) may involve the induction of a third party observer to ensure fairness, equality and transparency in these operations. The SPA and the Maoists in their 12-point agreement have already agreed upon such an arrangement, the common ground being to request the United Nations to intercede," he said.
Maintaining that the decisions must be taken urgently, Yechury said the Girija Prasad Koirala government should simultaneously address the urgent need to rebuild the Nepalese economy and India, along with the world community, must assist Nepal substantially on this score.
Warning of pitfalls in the process of implementing the 12-point agreement, the CPI(M) leader said the SPA and the Maoists would have to remain continuously vigilant of 'all possible maneuvers' that will be mounted to sabotage this process and ensure that the travel on this road may not reach the desired destination of a constituent assembly.
"One must remember that twice, once in 1951 and later in 1990, the Nepali people were denied after solemn promises of a constituent assembly. This cannot be allowed to repeat," he said, adding, "This was the first journey on the road to democracy there are bound to be many potholes, ups and downs that the interim government must carefully overcome and repair on the way."
The CPI(M) leader said when the Nepali people overcome these obstacles, they shall create history by transforming this Himalayan Hindu kingdom into a modern democratic nation state based on democracy.