20 April 2012. Three major political parties, UCPN (Maoist), CPN-UML and NC have agreed to merge Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Disappearance Commission (DC) forming just one commission that looks into all issues relating to the conflict. The meeting of top leaders of those parties yesterday arrived at such a decision.
Both the proposed bills to form those separate commissions are to be withdrawn from the parliament after this understanding of the major parties. The government had proposed for a unified commission in the meeting of those major parties. Reconciliation has been given top priority in the proposal. “Since the objectives of those commissions are similar, we agreed to form one commission,” NC leader Ramchandra Poudel said.
Separate bills to form two commissions have still been in discussion phase at the parliament for last two years. Instead of making the bill victim-friendly and that of international standard, the merger of commissions and granting of enormous powers to the commissioners has led to the suspicion that the commission would not be able to address victim’s demand for justice.
