Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03KATHMANDU1085
2003-06-12 09:24:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:  

NEPAL: PM THAPA APPOINTS SIX MINISTERS FROM HIS

Tags:  PGOV PREL PINR NP 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001085 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR SA/INS AND INR/B

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: PM THAPA APPOINTS SIX MINISTERS FROM HIS
PARTY

REF:

THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE TREAT
ACCORDINGLY.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001085

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR SA/INS AND INR/B

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR NEPAL'>NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: PM THAPA APPOINTS SIX MINISTERS FROM HIS
PARTY

REF:

THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE TREAT
ACCORDINGLY.


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. ON JUNE 11, AFTER CONSULTATIONS WITH
THE MAIN POLITICAL PARTY LEADERS, PRIME MINISTER THAPA
APPOINTED SIX MINISTERS FROM HIS OWN CENTER-RIGHT PARTY,
THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (RPP). WITH ONE EXCEPTION,
ALL THE NEW APPOINTEES HAVE PREVIOUS MINISTERIAL
EXPERIENCE WITH HALF OF THOSE SERVING DURING THE PARTY-
LESS PANCHAYAT ERA. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION FOLLOWS.
THE APPOINTMENTS REFLECT SOME ETHNIC AND GENDER DIVERSITY.
MANY PORTFOLIOS REMAIN IN THE CABINET FOR OTHER POLITICAL
PARTIES, BUT MANY ARE LIKELY TO COMPLAIN THAT THAPA HAS
APPOINTED A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF MINISTERS FROM HIS
OWN PARTY. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) AFTER A WEEK OF EARNEST CONSULTATIONS WITH THE
MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES, PRIME MINISTER SURYA BAHADUR THAPA
ON JUNE 11, APPOINTED FIVE MEN AND ONE WOMAN FROM HIS OWN
CENTER-RIGHT PARTY, THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (RPP),
TO SIX MINISTERIAL POSITIONS. BIOGRAPHICAL DATA FOLLOWS.

--------------
DR. PRAKASH CHANDRA LOHANI: MINISTER OF
FINANCE
--------------


3. (SBU) DR. PRAKASH CHANDRA LOHANI (B. 1944),A U.S.-
TRAINED ECONOMIST AND FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR WITH DEGREES FROM
INDIANA UNIVERSITY (MBA) AND UCLA (PH.D.),IS A SENIOR
LEADER OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (RPP). LOHANI HAS
HELD A VARIETY OF GOVERNMENT POSITIONS, INCLUDING FOREIGN
MINISTER UNDER SHER BAHADUR DEUBA (1996-1997) AND UNDER
LOKENDRA BAHADUR CHAND (EARLY 1997) AND MINISTER OF
AGRICULTURE UNDER SURYA BAHADUR THAPA (1998). HE HAS BEEN
ELECTED TWICE TO PARLIAMENT FROM THE NUWAKOT DISTRICT OF
CENTRAL NEPAL. OF THE BRAHMIN CASTE, LOHANI IS MARRIED
WITH THREE DAUGHTERS. WITH EXCELLENT ENGLISH SKILLS,
LOHANI IS HIGHLY ARTICULATE AND A COMPETENT ADMINISTRATOR.

--------------
KAMAL THAPA: MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS
AND INFORMATION
--------------


4. (SBU) KAMAL THAPA (B. 4 AUG 1955),IS A CAREER
POLITICIAN WHO IS REPORTEDLY CLOSE TO THE PALACE AND HAS
BEEN INVOLVED IN MOST OF THE MAJOR POLITICAL INITIATIVES
BACKED BY THE PALACE IN RECENT YEARS. THOUGH ONE OF THE
MORE POWERFUL MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY
(RPP) AS GENERAL SECRETARY, THAPA EARNED A REPUTATION AS
AN OPPORTUNIST IN 1996 WHEN HE REPEATEDLY CHANGED SIDES

DURING PARLIAMENTARY MANEUVERING TO BRING DOWN THE SHER
BAHADUR DEUBA GOVERNMENT. HIS ELEVATION TO THE RANK OF
FOREIGN MINISTER IN JUNE 1997 PROBABLY REFLECTED MORE THEN-
PRIME MINISTER CHAND'S INTEREST IN LOCKING THAPA INTO THE
GOVERNMENT THAN ANY HIGH ESTEEM FOR HIS ABILITIES. THAPA
REMAINED IN THE POST UNTIL APRIL 1998, WHEN THE CHAND
GOVERNMENT FELL. HE WAS APPOINTED AS THE GENERAL SECRETARY
OF THE RPP IN MAY 2003. THAPA WAS ALSO ACTIVE DURING THE
PANCHAYAT YEARS, RISING TO MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,
MINISTER OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND MINISTER OF HOUSING AND
PHYSICAL PLANNING. THAPA WAS A MEMBER OF NEPAL'S NATIONAL
SOCCER TEAM AND, IN 1984, VISITED THE UNITED STATES TO
ATTEND THE LOS ANGELES OLYMPICS. OF THE CHETTRI CASTE,
THAPA IS MARRIED WITH ONE SON AND THREE DAUGHTERS. HE
RECEIVED A MASTERS DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE FROM
NEPAL'S TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY IN 1977 AND SPEAKS EXCELLENT
ENGLISH AND HINDI.

--------------
BUDDHI MAN TAMANG: MINISTER OF PHYSICAL
PLANNING AND WORKS
--------------


5. (SBU) BUDDHI MAN TAMANG (B. 12 FEB 1956) BEGAN HIS
CAREER AT THE LOCAL LEVEL IN DHADING DISTRICT, WEST OF
KATHMANDU, IN THE 1980S UNDER THE PANCHAYAT SYSTEM. IN
1994 AND 1999 TAMANG WAS ELECTED TO THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES. TAMANG HAS HELD THE POSITION OF MINISTER
OF LAND REFORMS AND MANAGEMENT SEVERAL TIMES, UNDER SHER
BAHADUR DEUBA (1995 - 1997),UNDER LOKENDRA BAHADUR CHAND
(1997),AND UNDER SURYA BAHADUR THAPA (1997 - 1998). HE
HAS ALSO HELD THE POSTS OF MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY (1997) AND MINISTER OF COMMERCE (1997). ONE OF
THE LAST OF THE THIRTEEN-MEMBER COUNCIL OF MINISTERS WHO
REMAINED WITH THAPA DURING THE NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION IN
1983, TAMANG IS A STAUNCH THAPA SUPPORTER. ALTHOUGH
TAMANG HAS A B.A. IN ECONOMICS FROM TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY,
HIS ENGLISH IS VERY POOR. HE IS MARRIED WITH TWO SONS AND
A DAUGHTER.
--------------
HARI BAHADUR BASNET: MINISTER OF EDUCATION
AND SPORTS
--------------


6. (SBU) HARI BAHADUR BASNET (B. 1945) BEGAN HIS CAREER IN
THE 1970S AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL AS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM
THE CENTRAL EAST DISTRICT OF UDAYAPUR. BASNET HELD
NUMEROUS CABINET POSITIONS UNDER THE PANCHAYAT REGIME,
INCLUDING MINISTER OF FORESTS, FOOD, AGRICULTURE AND
IRRIGATION (1972-1974),MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS (1977
AND 1988-1989),MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS, TRANSPORT AND
COMMUNICATIONS (1986-1988),AND MINISTER OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS AND WATER RESOURCES (1990) UNDER MARICH MAN SING
SHRESTHA. BASNET HAS NEVER BEEN AN ELECTED MEMBER OF THE
PARLIAMENT. OF THE CHETTRI CASTE, BASNET EARNED A MASTERS
DEGREE IN ENGINEERING IN MOSCOW DURING THE 1960S. HE IS
MARRIED WITH TWO SONS.

--------------
SARBENDRA NATH SHUKLA: MINISTER OF TOURISM
AND CULTURE
--------------


7. (SBU) A RELATIVE NEWCOMER TO THE KATHMANDU POLITICAL
SCENE, SARBENDRA NATH SHUKLA (AGE IN MID-50S) BEGAN HIS
POLITICAL CAREER IN 1994 WHEN HE WAS ELECTED TO THE
PARLIAMENT FROM THE RUPANDEHI DISTRICT IN NEPAL'S CENTRAL
TERAI AREA. SINCE THEN, SHUKLA HAS HELD SEVERAL
MINISTERIAL POSITIONS, INCLUDING ASSISTANT MINISTER, AND
THEN STATE MINISTER, OF WATER RESOURCES (1995 - 1996)
UNDER SHER BAHADUR DEUBA, MINISTER OF COMMERCE (1997)
UNDER LOKENDRA BAHADUR CHAND, AND MINISTER AT THE PRIME
MINSITER'S OFFICE (1997-1998) UNDER SURYA BAHADUR THAPA.
OF THE BRAHMIN CLASS, SHUKLA IS MARRIED.

--------------
RENU KUMARI YADAV: MINISTER OF STATE FOR
WOMEN, CHILDREN AND SOCIAL WELFARE
--------------


8. (SBU) RENU KUMARI YADAV (FEMALE, B. 20 JUN 1963),WHO
WAS BORN IN INDIA AND ATTAINED NEPALI CITIZENSHIP THROUGH
MARRIAGE, IS ALSO A NEWCOMER TO NATIONAL POLITICAL LIFE.
IN 1991, YADAV JOINED THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (RPP)
AND WAS ELECTED FROM THE EASTERN TERAI DISTRICT OF SAPTARI
TO THE LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT IN 1999. IN 2003, SHE
WAS ELECTED TO THE RPP'S CENTRAL COMMITTEE. WITH A
BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN HISTORY FROM MITHILA UNIVERSITY OF
BIHAR, INDIA, YADAV IS OF LOW CASTE. SHE IS A WIDOW WITH
ONE SON.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


9. (SBU) PRIME MINISTER THAPA'S SIX MINISTERIAL
APPOINTMENTS REVEAL SOME ETHNIC AND GENDER DIVERSITY WITH
ONE WOMAN (THE 40-MEMBER CABINET THAT WAS DISSOLVED IN
OCTOBER 2002 WAS TOTALLY MALE),A TAMANG (AN ETHNIC
MINORITY) AND A YADAV (LOW CASTE). THAPA REPORTEDLY HAS
SAID THAT THE APPOINTMENTS REMAIN FLEXIBLE IN ORDER TO
ACCOMMODATE OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES IF THEY AGREE TO JOIN
THE GOVERNMENT. HOWEVER, CONFLICTING RUMORS ABOUND IN
KATHMANDU POLITICAL CIRCLES ABOUT WHETHER THE LARGEST TWO
POLITICAL PARTIES WILL JOIN THAPA'S GOVERNMENT. ALTHOUGH
ROOM REMAINS FOR OTHER PARTIES TO JOIN THE CABINET, SOME
WILL LIKELY COMPLAIN THAT THAPA APPOINTED A
DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF MINISTERS FROM HIS OWN PARTY,
WHICH HELD ONLY 11 OF 205 SEATS IN THE OLD PARLIAMENT.
END COMMENT.

MALINOWSKI