The news or article item below is part of my Nepal Revolution Reports, to be a series of postings from Kathamandu to my external blog Stefandav - Revolution of the Mind (this link will take you to the entries tagged Nepal + Maoism).

March 16 - (Photo Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda") The following news items came in today in the following sequence:

With Nepal’s Supreme Court legitimizing fresh recruitment carried by the Nepal Army, it was the turn of Mr. Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal the Maoists’ Minister for defense to take the revenge against the Nepal Army Chief Rookmangad Katawal. Which, he did so, by refusing to prolong the term of eight Nepal Army Brigadier Generals- who were considered to be close to Mr. Rookmangad Katawal. The Nepal Army headquarters had sent a request letter to the government demanding extension of the tenure of the eight generals for more three years, which was summarily rejected by the Ministry of Defense. Ramindra Chhetri, the NA spokesperson described Rookmangad Katawal’s immediate call to President Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Defense Minister Badal on Tuesday March 16, 2009, a routine one, but sources say that during his separate meetings with the three stalwarts, Mr. Katawal expressed his utter displeasure over the fresh act of the Ministry of Defense.

The United Maoists’ Party has supported Nepal Government’s decision not to prolong the term of eight Nepal Army generals. The Maoists’ party top-hats held a meeting at Prime Minister’s residence in Baluatar on Tuesday, March 17, 2009, evening. The meeting also criticized the stand taken by coalition partner-the UML and the main opposition- Nepali Congress over the issue. “The decision was not taken in a haste, we had discussed this issue in advance, thus the government will not retract from the decision”, said Mr. Mohan Baidya Kiran, a Maoists senior leader later talking to reporters. In the mean time, the Nepali Congress and the UML has intensified its criticism against the decision made by the Maoists led government which only the other day sacked some eight functioning and experienced Brigadier generals.

The Commanders of the Maoists’ Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) who have gathered in the capital Kathmandu threatened that further delay in the integration of Maoists combatants into the Nepal Army will break the patience of the PLA men. In the ongoing meeting, there is the presence of Maoists’ PLA Commanders and Deputy Commanders from all seven cantonments spread across the country. “The PLA must be integrated into the Nepal Army to boost their waning morale”, the PLA commanders said, say reports. “We request the Special committee for Army Integration to initiate the Nepal Army –Maoists PLA merger at the earliest”, the speakers also demanded. Attending the program, the Commander of the Maoists’ Peoples’ Liberation Army Mr. Nanda Kishor Pun alias Pasang had said that the fresh decision of the Supreme Court of Nepal legitimizing fresh recruitment carried out by the Nepal Army has side by side legitimized the PLA recruitment as well.