MOBILIZE ARMY AGAINST MAOISTS: SHER BAHADUR DEUBA

Nepali Congress Leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, according to some of Nepal's national dailies, has demanded for the mobilization of Nepal Army for the Constituent Assembly polls scheduled to be held on 10 April. The Nepal Army has time and again expressed its objection to the debate of its integration with the insurgents' army though the point of military integration has clearly been stated in Nepal's interim constitution for conflict management purpose. The high ranking officials, most of whom are relatives of royal family members, are still loyal to the outgoing monarchy.

Generally, the Nepalis understand Mr. Deuba as a pro-monarchist and rightist leader within the Nepali Congress. He had split the Nepali Congress in 2001 after having handed over democracy to King Gyanendra. In the same year, he declared the State of Emergency in Nepal. Hundreds of citizens were disappeared by the state during his government. Nepal globally ranked the first in disappearing citizens. Mr. Deuba has not morally admitted any shortcomings his prime ministership.

Most of the people in Nepal view Mr. Deuba very negatively not only because he aligned with the feudal monarchy and helped to promote autocracy in Nepal but also because he had used dirty tricks of contaminating Nepal's parliamentary politics.

As the majority of the Nepalis believe Mr. Deuba to have been loyal to monarchy though he claims he is a republican, his demand for mobilizing the counterinsurgent Nepal Army during the elections, it will further destroy his own supporters' faith in him. As the insurgents have their insurgent army in the UN-monitored cantonments, this type of demand by a monarchist leader raises a serious doubt. Mr. Deuba's stance on the ongoing peace process itself can been questioned as he has demanded to mobilize the government army against the Maoist insurgents. As his political position has declined sharply due to his moral degradation, he appears very worried over his political future though he is one of the Nepali favorites of the US Administration and the European Union.

So far, the Nepali Congress, the UML and the insurgents have not have not issued their official comment on Mr. Deuba's anti-peace process stress on mobilizing the monarchy-trained Nepal Army, still to be democratized.