The 10 ruling parties have recommended term extension for United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) and the government will ask the Security Council for another four-month stay for the UN body, according to Thursday's The Kathmandu Post.
UNMIN has been supervising and monitoring arms and armed personnel of Nepal Army and former Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) combatants since Jan. 23, 2007. The current and fourth extended term and mandate of UNMIN expires on Jan. 23.
"We have agreed to ask for extension of UNMIN's tenure until the deadline for writing the new statute expires on May 28, 2010," said Deputy
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala.
According to the agreement reached on Wednesday,the parties have agreed to settle the issue of integration and rehabilitation of former combatants before the deadline for drafting the constitution.
It is not clear whether UNMIN will be given the same mandate as the current one. A cabinet meeting on Thursday is likely to take the call on the issue.