The commanders were especially worried about the provisions on education and the bridge course and rank harmonization for integration, and requested him to make the points clear before they go back to the cantonments to brief colleagues on the process. [break]
"How can we persuade our comrades in the cantonments over the process when we ourselves are confused about it? So we asked him to clarify certain points," a division commander told Republica.
According to the commander, the commanders had read out the seven-point deal to Bhattarai and asked him why the party lied to them about the provision on education.
"The prime minister assured us that he would clarify the points soon," another division commander said.
The peace deal states that the level of education of combatants at the time of joining the PLA -- not the current level -- would be counted for purposes of integrating them into the proposed directorate to be led by the Nepal Army (NA).
But party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had told the commanders a few days back that the current education level -- not what they had at the time of joining the PLA -- would be counted.
Most of the combatants had not even passed the SLC when they joined the PLA.
"If the education level at the time of joining the PLA is counted, most of us won´t opt for integration," said yet another division commander.
During the meeting, the commanders also urged Bhattarai to clarify about the ´bridge course´ the combatants have to undergo after integration.
The combatants were worried that they could be mistreated while undergoing bridge the course after joining the NA.
The PLA top brass also asked about the fate of the division commanders. Dahal had told the commanders that they would get some political appointments, but without clearly defining what such appointments would mean.
Second Division Commander Suk Bahadur Roka Magar, Fourth Division Commander Tej Bahadur Oli, Sixth Division Commander Mahendra Bahadur Shahi and Seventh Division Commander Santu Darai were present at the meeting.
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