Nepal's major political parties agree to finalise search committee for peace process conclusion

Kathmandu, Oct 17 (PTI) Nepal's three major political parties — the ruling CPN (UML), the Nepali Congress, and the main opposition CPN (Maoist Centre) — agreed on Thursday to fully constitute the search committee that will oversee the tasks of the peace process, aimed at addressing the aftermath of the decade-long civil conflict in the Himalayan nation.
     The agreement was reached during a meeting held at Baluwatar, the official residence of Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chair K P Sharma Oli. Besides Oli, the meeting was attended by Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-Maoist Centre Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda,' and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.
     The peace process, initiated following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2006, involves establishing mechanisms like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission on Investigation of Disappeared People to deliver justice for wartime atrocities.
     Nepal's decade-long civil conflict from 1996 to 2006 ended with the then Maoists cadre and the Government of Nepal signing the peace deal. According to official estimates, the conflict resulted in over 17,800 deaths and at least 1,300 disappearances. It also displaced an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people across Nepal and was marked by torture, sexual violence, unlawful detention, and the use of child soldiers.
     After the meeting at Baluwatar, Maoist Centre senior leader Shakti Bahadur Basnet told the media that the discussion focused on concluding the peace process, including the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission on Investigation of Disappeared People.
     He said the top leaders of the three major parties agreed to finalise the search committee to initiate the formation of the TRC. The search committee, initially formed by the previous government, remains incomplete.
     According to Basnet, legal provisions stipulate that the commissions will be formed within a specified time frame once the search committee is fully constituted.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)