Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02KATHMANDU1964
2002-10-10 08:24:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:  

NEPAL'S EX-PRIME MINISTER DISCUSSES HIS OUSTER BY

Tags:  PGOV NP GON 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001964 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SA/EX

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2012
TAGS: PGOV NP GON
SUBJECT: NEPAL'S EX-PRIME MINISTER DISCUSSES HIS OUSTER BY
THE KING

REF: KATHMANDU 1932

Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION ROBERT BOGGS. REASONS: 1.5 (B an
d D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001964

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SA/EX

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2012
TAGS: PGOV NP GON
SUBJECT: NEPAL'S EX-PRIME MINISTER DISCUSSES HIS OUSTER BY
THE KING

REF: KATHMANDU 1932

Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION ROBERT BOGGS. REASONS: 1.5 (B an
d D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. IN A MEETING ON OCTOBER 7 WITH THE
AMBASSADOR, SHER BAHADUR DEUBA DESCRIBED THE CIRCUMSTANCES
SURROUNDING HIS OCTOBER 4 DISMISSAL AS PRIME MINISTER BY KING
GYANENDRA. CLEARLY STUNG BY THE KING'S PUBLIC CRITICISM OF
HIS COMPETENCE, DEUBA SAID THAT HE HAD REJECTED ON
CONSTITUTIONAL GROUNDS THE KING'S REPEATED REQUESTS THAT HE
RESIGN. PORTRAYING HIMSELF AS THE HAPLESS VICTIM OF BAD
ADVICE REGARDING THE FEASIBILITY OF NATIONAL ELECTIONS IN
NOVEMBER, DEUBA INDICATED THAT HIS NEPALI CONGRESS
(DEMOCRATIC) PARTY WOULD NOT JOIN A NEW GOVERNMENT APPOINTED
BY THE KING, BUT WOULD NOT CARRY HIS GRIEVANCES WITH
GYANENDRA TO THE STREETS. SINCE THIS MEETING, DEUBA SEEMS TO
BE HEWING TO THE COURSE RECOMMENDED BY THE AMBASSADOR OF
DEDICATING HIMSELF TO STRENGTHENING HIS PARTY AND PREPARING
HIMSELF TO CONTEST THE NEXT ELECTIONS. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST BY THE AMBASSADOR FOR A
MEETING WITH HIM, EX-PRIME MINISTER SHER BAHADUR DEUBA
APPEARED AT THE AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE AND SPENT AN HOUR
DESCRIBING THE CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO THE DISMISSAL OF HIS
GOVERNMENT ON OCTOBER 4 BY KING GYANENDRA (REFTEL). DEUBA
WAS CLEARLY AGITATED AND DEFENSIVE. THE KING, DEUBA
EXPLAINED, WAS WORRIED ABOUT TALK OF A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY
THAT MIGHT REVISE CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS MAKING THE ROYAL
NEPAL ARMY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE MONARCH. HAVING DECIDED TO GET
RID OF THE DEUBA GOVERNMENT, THE KING TWICE, ON OCTOBER 1 AND
3, PRESSED THE PRIME MINISTER TO RESIGN. DEUBA SAID HE HAD
REFUSED TO DO SO "ON PRINCIPLE," ARGUING THAT THE KING HAD NO
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY TO DISMISS A PRIME MINISTER WITHOUT
THE SUPPORT OF THE PARLIAMENT.


3. (C) REGARDING THE KING'S PUBLIC CHARGES THAT HE WAS
"INCOMPETENT" TO HOLD CONSTITUTIONALLY MANDATED NATIONAL
ELECTIONS ON TIME, THE EX-PRIME MINISTER INSISTED THAT THE
KING HAD NO LEGITIMATE BASIS FOR SUCH A CHARGE. IT WAS
NEPAL'S SECURITY OFFICIALS WHO HAD ASSURED HIM INITIALLY, HE
EXPLAINED, THAT ELECTIONS WOULD BE FEASIBLE IN MID-NOVEMBER
DESPITE THE MAOIST INSURGENCY. ONLY RECENTLY HAD THOSE SAME
OFFICIALS INFORMED HIM THAT SUCH ELECTIONS WOULD BE
IMPOSSIBLE. IT WAS THE LEADERS OF THE OTHER LARGE PARTIES,

FURTHERMORE, WHO PERSUADED HIM ON OCT 3 THAT HE SHOULD
RECOMMEND TO THE KING THAT THE ELECTIONS BE POSTPONED.
CHANGING CONDITIONS AND CHANGING COUNSEL HAD REQUIRED HIM TO
CHANGE HIS POLICY. DEUBA ATTRIBUTED GYANENDRA'S CRITICISM OF
HIM TO THE KING'S PIQUE THAT HE WOULD NOT RESIGN.


4. (C) DURING HIS MEETING WITH THE KING RECOMMENDING A
POSTPONEMENT OF ELECTIONS, DEUBA SAID, HE HAD OFFERED TO FIRE
CORRUPT MINISTERS IN HIS CABINET AND REPLACE THEM WITH
TECHNOCRATS OR OTHER PERSONS RECOMMENDED BY THE KING.
INSTEAD, THE KING HAD PRESSED DEUBA AGAIN TO RESIGN,
PROMISING TO APPOINT DEUBA AS PRIME MINISTER AGAIN AFTER HIS
RESIGNATION. THE KING'S SUBSEQUENT DISMISSAL OF HIS
GOVERNMENT PROVED, DEUBA ARGUED, THAT THE KING HARBORED OTHER
MOTIVES ALL ALONG AND HAD ALREADY DECIDED TO ASSERT MORE
DIRECT CONTROL. PALACE INSIDERS TELL HIM, DEUBA SAID, THAT
THE KING IS VERY AMBITIOUS. DEUBA SUSPECTED THAT THE KING
INTENDED TO APPOINT AND DISMISS SUCCESSIVE GOVERNMENTS ON
SPURIOUS GROUNDS FOR 4-5 YEARS, THUS POSTPONING ELECTIONS AND
THE RETURN OF POPULAR GOVERNMENT. DEUBA SAID THAT IN THE
PAST HE HAD WANTED TO BRING NEW FACES INTO HIS GOVERNMENT AND
HAD ASKED THE KING FOR HELP IN GATHERING EVIDENCE OF
CORRUPTION AMONG HIS MINISTERS. RATHER THAN ASSIST HIM IN
THIS, HOWEVER, THE KING CONTINUED TO MEET WITH CORRUPT
MINISTERS. AFTER ALL, DEUBA ALLEGED, THE KING HAD BEEN A
CORRUPT BUSINESSMAN HIMSELF BEFORE HIS ACCESSION TO THE
THRONE. DEUBA SAID HE DID "NOT MIND" THE CURRENT HOUSE
ARREST OF SEVERAL FORMER MINISTERS IN HIS GOVERNMENT ON
SUSPICION OF CORRUPTION AND "WOULD BE RELIEVED" IF THEY
ACTUALLY WERE INDICTED. HE DID NOT SEEM TO TAKE THIS
POSSIBILITY TOO SERIOUSLY, HOWEVER, POINTING OUT THAT MANY OF
THE MEN UNDER SUSPICION HAVE CLOSE CONTACTS INSIDE THE PALACE.


5. (C) THE AMBASSADOR RAISED THE QUESTION OF THE RANGE OF
CONSULTATIONS THE KING HAD HAD WITH FOREIGN DIPLOMATS BEFORE
DISSOLVING PARLIAMENT. THE AMBASSADOR HAD BEEN TOLD BY A
WELL-PLACED PALACE OFFICIAL THAT THE KING HAD CONVOKED THE US
AND CHINESE AMBASSADORS ON OCTOBER 4, BUT NOT THE INDIAN.
DEUBA SAID HE WAS SURE THAT THE PALACE HAD CONSULTED WITH THE
INDIAN GOVERNMENT THROUGH TWO PERSONAL EMMISSARIES HE HAD
SENT TO NEW DELHI (REPORTEDLY A FORMER DIRECTOR GENERAL OF
POLICE, AND THE KING'S BUSINESS PARTNER AND CONFIDANT
PRABAKAR RANA) AS WELL AS COMMUNICATING THROUGH TWO RETIRED
INDIAN DIPLOMATS (FORMER FOREIGN SECRETARY RASGOTRA, AND
FORMER AMBASSADOR TO NEPAL RAJAN) WHEN THE LATTER TWO VISITED
KATHMANDU IN SEPTEMBER. DEUBA CONTENDED THAT THE PRICE THE
KING WAS PAYING FOR INDIAN SUPPORT FOR HIS ACTIONS WAS
INCREASED GOI INFLUENCE IN NEPAL. A RECENT, UNPRECEDENTED
PROTEST DEMONSTRATION STAGED OUTSIDE THE PAKISTAN EMBASSY IN
KATHMANDU BY NEPALI REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SHIV SENA AND THE
PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE IN KATHMANDU WAS CLEARLY MOTIVATED FROM
INDIA AND WAS PROOF OF GROWING INDIAN INFLUENCE HERE, DEUBA
SAID. (THE NEW PAKISTANI AMBASSADOR SUBSEQUENTLY TOLD US
THAT THE DEMONSTRATION WAS A PROTEST AGAINST RECENT ATTACKS
ON A HINDU TEMPLE IN GUJARAT.)


6. (C) THE KING, LIKE THE MAOISTS, HAD BETRAYED HIM, DEUBA
ASSERTED. THE KING HAD NO LEGAL RIGHT TO SACK HIM, AND DEUBA
HAD NO INTENTION OF PROPOSING NAMES FOR THE NEW CABINET OR OF
ALLOWING HIS PARTY MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE IN IT. HIS
PRINCIPAL GOAL WAS TO BE RE-ELECTED AS PRIME MINISTER. THE
AMBASSADOR ENCOURAGED DEUBA TO TAKE THE HIGH ROAD AND REACT
POSITIVELY TO THE NEW POLITICAL SITUATION. THE FORMER PRIME
MINISTER SHOULD FOCUS HIS ENERGIES PRIMARILY ON STRENGTHENING
THE ORGANIZATION OF HIS PARTY AND TAKING HIS PROGRAM TO THE
PEOPLE. THE AMBASSADOR REMINDED DEUBA OF HIS IMPORTANT
ACHIEVEMENTS AS PRIME MINISTER. HE HAD BEEN WELL RECEIVED IN
WASHINGTON, HAD INCREASED INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE
MAOIST THREAT, AND SECURED UNPRECEDENTED SECURITY ASSISTANCE.
AS PRIME MINISTER HE HAD ALSO PASSED LEGISLATION SUPPORTING
POLICIES OF ANTI-CORRUPTION, WOMEN'S RIGHTS, AND
ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS. DEUBA AGREED; HE WOULD
CONCENTRATE ON REORGANIZING HIS PARTY AND WOULD NOT TAKE IT
ONTO THE STREETS TO PROTEST THE KING'S ACTIONS. HE EXPRESSED
SOME CONCERN, HOWEVER, BY WHAT HE PERCEIVED AS INITIAL
EFFORTS BY THE PALACE TO STIFLE FREE EXPRESSION. WHETHER OR
NOT HE SUCCEEDED IN HIS ATTEMPTS TO REGAIN THE PRIME
MINISTERSHIP, HE ASSURED THE AMBASSADOR, HE WOULD REMAIN A
TRUE FRIEND OF THE UNITED STATES.


7. (C) COMMENT. DEUBA CLEARLY WAS BITTER ABOUT HIS UNEXPECTED
SACKING BY THE KING, AND HIS SELF-SERVING ASSESSMENT OF THE
MONARCH'S MOTIVES AND OBJECTIVES SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AT FACE
VALUE. DESPITE THIS, HOWEVER, HE APPARENTLY HAS TAKEN THE
AMBASSADOR'S ADVICE AND MAINTAINED A RELATIVELY DIGNIFIED AND
CONSTRUCTIVE PUBLIC STANCE. THE EX-PRIME MINISTER MET WITH
THE KING THE DAY AFTER HIS MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR.
AFTER THE MEETING HE ANNOUNCED TO THE PRESS THAT HIS PARTY
WOULD NOT JOIN ANY COUNCIL OF MINISTERS APPOINTED BY THE KING
AND CONTINUED TO INSIST THAT THE OUSTER OF HIS GOVERNMENT WAS
UNCONSTIUTIONAL. PARTY INSIDERS TELL US, HOWEVER, THAT DEUBA
UNDERSTANDS THAT HE MUST BE REALISTIC IN REACTING TO THE NEW
POLITICAL SITUATION AND HAS BEGUN TO TURN HIS ATTENTION TO
ORGANIZATIONAL WORK WITHIN THE PARTY.
MALINOWSKI