Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who in his previous stint had a frosty relationship with the Army, has shown a change of heart this time around.

Then commander-in-chief of the disbanded rebel Maoist army, Dahal on Sunday tried to appease the Nepal Army saying that he would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the NA is shielded from war-era cases.

“The government is committed to ensuring that the NA is not dragged into war-era cases. It’s important for the government and the Army to have a common perception of the peace process,” PM Dahal said during an inspection visit of the Army Headquarters on Sunday.

Dahal commended the Army’s role in maintaining order through the UN peacekeeping missions globally. “Nepal is still known to the world for the Nepal Army’s diligence, courage, bravery and honesty,” Dahal said, adding that he highly respected the military’s positive role in the country’s peace process.

He said that those directly involved in war understand the importance of peace more than any other person or group. The government, said Dahal, was committed to boosting the NA’s self-esteem and equipping it with essential resources and technology.

He also lauded the Army for the rescue operations it undertook in the aftermath of the earthquake last year and the relief and reconstruction works it engaged in, besides implementing the National Pride Projects at other times. “The government is well aware that national security and integrity will only be strengthened if the Army is strong,” he said.

DPM and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi, DPM and Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Defence Minister Bal Krishna Khand, Energy Minister Janardan Sharma, and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Ramesh Lekhak accompanied the PM during the inspection.

Chief of Army Staff Rajendra Chhetri had briefed the PM and the ministers about the activities of the Army. When Dahal first emerged in Baluwatar in

2006 after years of underground rebellion, his comments against the Army

were strongly criticised. Later, his tussle with then Army chief Rookmangud Katawal led to his resignation as the prime minister.

5 judges sought for spl criminal court

KATHMANDU: Rights defenders and lawyers have recommended a five-member Special Criminal Court to deal with conflict-era cases.

An amendment proposal to the Enforced Disappearances Enquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, jointly prepared by the Conflict Victims Common Platform, Justice and Rights Institute Nepal (JuRI-Nepal) and Accountability Watch Committee, has suggested the court should have one chief judge and four judges.

The judges will have qualification equivalent to that of High Court judges. The judges will be appointed on the recommendation of the Judicial Council. The court will be based in the Capital. A plaintiff can appeal in the Supreme Court for review.

However, the government has drafted a bill proposing a two-tier court comprising a trial court and an appeal court with three judges in each level to deal with conflict-era cases.

The judges of trial court will have qualification equivalent to that of High Court judges, while the appeal court will have three justices with qualification equivalent to Supreme Court justices.

According to Attorney General Raman Kumar Shrestha, the two-tier court is proposed to expedite the process of case hearing. The court will deal only with the cases recommended by two transitional justice bodies. (PR)