NEPAL: KING'S PUBLIC APPEARANCE FAILS TO APPEAL TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000279 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR SA/INS, LONDON FOR POL/GURNEY, NSC FOR MILLARD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER NP SUBJECT: NEPAL: KING'S PUBLIC APPEARANCE FAILS TO APPEAL TO POLITICAL PARTIES ¶1. (SBU) Summary. King Gyanendra's civic reception in the southwestern city of Nepalgunj on February 8 did not attract the numbers expected despite government-provided buses and a heavy security presence. The low attendance can be attributed in part to the forced closure, or bandh, declared by the Maoist-affiliated Tharuwan Liberation Front, as well as Maoist threats. In his public remarks, the King committed himself to preserving multiparty democracy, while also playing a more active role in government. He supported anti-corruption efforts, elections and economic development of the mid-western region of Nepal, but also issued veiled criticisms of the political parties. The King's speech sparked predictably negative reactions from the political parties. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) On February 8, King Gyanendra offered public remarks to an assembled crowd in Nepalgunj, a city on the Nepal-India border in Banke District, during a pre-planned "civic reception." Prior to the event, the Tharuwan Liberation Front, an organization linked to the Maoists, declared the ceremony illegal and imposed a three-day closure ("bandh") in the mid-west and far-west of NEPAL to prevent the public from attending. Maoist activity in Nepalgunj in the days leading up to the event increased; insurgents shot and killed two policemen on February 4 and exploded four bombs in the city on February 6. ¶3. (SBU) On the day of the event, according to press reports, only government vehicles traversed the roads, ferrying security personnel and other officials to the reception. The former mayor of Nepalgunj reported that the Government of Nepal (GON) had hired hundreds of buses to bring people from various districts in mid-western Nepal, but most returned nearly empty due to the Maoist threat. According to press reports, Maoists felled trees onto the highways and used "banner bombs" to prevent the government-hired buses from reaching Nepalgunj. Roughly 25,000 people, mostly from Nepalgunj and the surrounding environs, reportedly attended the felicitation ceremony. The Banke Chief District Officer indicated that approximately 2,000 security personnel were mobilized in the district, with 500 in Nepalgunj alone, on the day of the event. ¶4. (U) In his public remarks, the King expressed his 
commitment to multiparty democracy and articulated his intention to maintain an active role in government. He noted the need to address some of the root causes of the conflict, such as public sector corruption and lack of development in the mid-western region of Nepal. The King also issued veiled criticisms of the political parties for not responding to the needs of the people and appealed to the students to turn away from public protests and towards more productive ventures. Excerpts of his speech follow. BEGIN EXCERPTS "We are totally committed to multiparty democracy. It is Our conviction that it will have meaning only if politics is inspired by the people, dedicated to the people and dependent on the people. Top priority must be accorded to the all round progress of the Mid-Western Development Region, which has lagged behind in the process of development.... Let nobody take advantage of the people's simplicity or a situation wherein they are deprived of the fruits of development. The days of Monarchy being seen but not heard, watching people's difficulties but not addressing them and being a silent spectator to their tear-stained faces are over.... On this occasion, We, once again, call upon politicians to stop saying 'me' but say 'us,' stop saying 'party' but say 'people' and ensure that multiparty democracy is dedicated to the greater interest of the nation and people. Consolidation of democracy with pro-people governance is Our only desire, happiness of Our countrymen and the overall welfare of the nation Our only goal....We wish to see a corruption-free economic structure, which guarantees realization of their (the people's) basic needs.... Tussles for power should not jeopardize our national unity, which, in fact, should be further refined and consolidated in upholding our national dignity with the active participation of the youth, the pillars of tomorrow. Instead of hindering the acquisition of useful abilities and misguiding them into politicking, it has now become imperative to give the youth an opportunity to harness their creativity by enhancing their skills and diligence....We call on those who have faith in the multiparty system to...contribute to the maintenance of peace and security along with the creation of an environment wherein the governance of the country can be handed over to elected representatives by holding general elections at the earliest." END EXCERPTS ¶5. (SBU) The King's remarks received extensive press coverage and comment by the political parties, as well as from the Maoists. The press quoted party leaders expressing critical reaction to the King's speech. Even in private, CPN-UML and Nepali Congress party leaders felt that the King was unfair in his characterization of the parties. Jhala Nath Khanal, Director of the CPN-UML's International Relations Office, believed the King's address was "aggressive" towards the parties, "as if the parties were only thinking of themselves." Khanal was also concerned that the King failed to mention constitutional monarchy and interpreted the omission as an indication that the monarch seeks a more active role in government than the previous King. Khanal concluded that although many principles outlined by the King, such as support for multiparty democracy, anti-corruption, and economic development, were positive, they were overshadowed by the more negative comments about the political parties. Sushil Koirala, General Secretary of Nepali Congress party, echoed Khanal's sentiments. He criticized the King's failure to address either the Maoist insurgency or the current political impasse. The speech "only pulls us further apart," Koirala said. ¶6. (SBU) The Maoists issued a poorly-worded statement on their website the same day of the King's speech belittling the civic reception. The Maoist statement claimed that only a "few hundred" old Panchayat supporters, security personnel and bureaucrats were present at the program. The insurgents characterized the reception as a "desperate bid to show the international community that the people approve of the autocratic feudal king." The Maoists claimed success of the Tharuwan Liberation Front's bandh and their own efforts to distribute propaganda at the event despite a heavy presence of security personnel. ¶7. (SBU) Comment. Many observers view the civic reception as the Palace's counter to the parties' mass rally on January 30 -- an effort to demonstrate that the King can draw just as large crowds, if not larger, than the politicians. While the King used the reception to reiterate his commitment to multi-party democracy, he also took the opportunity to take thinly veiled swipes at the very parties that make up that democracy. The King's recent public comments, underscored by his February 8 statement that the days of monarchy being seen but not heard are over, so far show little evidence of an effort to forge a path of reconciliation with the parties. End Comment. MALINOWSKI