Arms management by mid-Sept in Nepal: Home Minister

A senior Nepali government official said that the arms management of the Nepali Army and the guerilla should be completed by mid-September, The Kathmandu Post (TKP) reported Monday.

"Home Minister Krishna Prashad Sitaula said that the much- awaited arms management should be completed and interim constitution should be adopted by mid-September," TKP, a local English language daily, reported.

"I think, the management of arms and army should be completed within Sept. 16 and the United Nations will be beginning its monitoring by then," TKP quoted Sitaula as saying.

Similarly, the interim constitution should also be promulgated by then, Sitaula noted, adding, "If this deadline is met, only then will the constituent assembly election be possible by mid- April 2007."

Sitaula, who is also the leader of government talks team, categorically said there are now two major agendas needing to be settled before the country goes for the much-awaited constituent assembly.

In his view, the agendas are management of the army and the arms of guerrillas and promulgation of an interim constitution.

"Once the interim constitution is promulgated, forming an interim government will not be a big issue," he added.

Source: Xinhua