FORMER PLA FIGHTERS ASK PRACHANDA, PM TO SETTLE SOONEST THEIR FUTURE Kathmandu, 31 July: - Former commanders of the Maoist army have asked the party leadership to take immediate decisions regarding the fate of over 3,000 fighters awaiting integration into the Nepal Army, The Kathmandu Post reports.. In a meeting with UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal at party headquarters Paris Danda, former division commanders and vice-commanders asked that the integration be completed as soon as possible. They also suggested that the party leadership send all fighters for voluntary retirement if other parties remained inflexible on issues of dispute. “We cannot send our friends into integration by allowing the Nepal Army to measure their chest. Integration conducted like a recruitment drive is disrespectful to the revolution,” said former acting commander of the Rolpa-based Fifth Division, Raj Bahadur Budha. Budha said that Dahal committed to further talks with other parties to ensure a 'dignified' integration process. Former Sixth Division commander Mahendra Bahadur Sahi also said they urged the leadership to end the stalemate over the integration process as early as possible. The selection process of 3,123 former fighters was stalled earlier this month after fighters expressed reservations over the recruitment-like process of integration. Many commanders, who had opted for integration, submitted their resignation from the Maoist army after facing charges of corruption in the recently concluded seventh plenum. The plenum had decided to send fighters into retirement if other parties did not exhibit flexibility on age and educational status of the former combatants. nnnn