Nepali Congress is opposed to the creation of a separate unit within Nepal Army for integrating the Maoist combatants, with a top leader saying the party is opposed to any “secret agreement” in this regard.

Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala raised serious objection to Maoist chief Prachanda’s remarks that he would expedite the army integration process as per the secret agreement reached between Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal and himself.

People didn’t know what type of secret agreement the two leaders had signed regarding the army integration, Koirala said and stressed that Nepali Congress cannot accept if they were talking about creating a separate unit within Nepal Army by integrating the Maoist combatants.

It would not be acceptable to the Nepali Congress if the Maoists tried to take the peace process forward by applying their own model by deviating from the past agreements relating to the peace process.

The peace process should be taken to conclusion in line with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and other agreements signed with the past governments by the Maoists in which the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) was a witness, he pointed out.

The seven point agreement reached between Prachanda and Prime Minister Khanal on the eve of the Prime Ministerial poll includes among other things provisions for setting up of a separate unit under Nepal Army to integrate the Maoist combatants and sharing power between the two Communist parties on rotational basis that sparked widespread criticism.

Koirala said that the peace process and the constitution drafting cannot be completed by sidelining the largest democratic party Nepali Congress. The Maoists’ attempt to conclude the peace process as per their model cannot be acceptable to other political parties, he pointed out.

The peace process should be concluded with the spirit of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement by taking into confidence other major political parties, he added. Earlier on Saturday talking to reporters in eastern Nepal town of Bhadrapur Prachanda had warned that the Nepali Congress (NC) will be at loss if fails to assist the government in the “peace process”.