Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KATHMANDU1562
2006-06-16 11:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:
PARLIAMENT TAKES FINAL ACTIONS BEFORE RECESS
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C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001562
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2016
TAGS: PGOV NP
SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT TAKES FINAL ACTIONS BEFORE RECESS
REF: A. KATHMANDU 1494
B. KATHMANDU 1268
Classified By: CDA Larry Schwartz. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
Parliament Further Curbs King's Power
--------------------------------------
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001562
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2016
TAGS: PGOV NP
SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT TAKES FINAL ACTIONS BEFORE RECESS
REF: A. KATHMANDU 1494
B. KATHMANDU 1268
Classified By: CDA Larry Schwartz. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
Parliament Further Curbs King's Power
--------------
1. (SBU) On June 15, the Government of Nepal (GON) took
further actions to curb the powers of the King. The House of
Representative passed a regulation that took away the King's
power to appoint the Chief of Army Staff, putting the Nepal
Army completely under civilian control. The House also
transferred the King's authority to issue ordinances to the
Cabinet, allowing the Cabinet to promulgate an ordinance
after consultation with the Ministry of Law, Justice and
Parliamentary Affairs. The House also took a third step to
remove the requirement that the Parliament notify and obtain
prior consent from the King before making decisions.
According to press reports and our contacts, these new steps
removed the King completely from Parliamentary affairs -- a
key demand of the Maoists and of the April people's movement
(Ref A). All politicos we spoke to saw the new regulations
as a positive development.
Parliamentary Committees Formed
--------------
2. (C) Parliament created three special committees to look
into security, appointments and other matters related to the
May 18 House of Representatives declaration (Ref B): Special
Security Committee, House of Representatives Proclamation
Implementation Special Committee and Parliamentary Hearing
Special Committee. The House also reinstated nine regular
committees: Finance Committee, Public Accounts Committee,
Foreign Affairs and Human Rights Committee, Natural Resources
Committee, Environmental Protection Committee, Population and
Social Committee, State Affairs Management Committee, Law,
Justice and Parliamentary Committee, and Development
Committee. Manohar Prasad Bhattarai, Joint Secretary in the
Parliament Secretariat, informed us that the nine regular
committees were nothing new, but simply a reinstatement of
the committees created by the Parliament in 1999. He said
that the final make-up of these committees would be decided
within the next few days.
Parliament Recesses
--------------
3. (C) The last decision made by the Parliament was to
adjourn for seventeen days, until July 2. Anil Jha, Joint
General Secretary of Nepal Sadbhavana Party-Ananda Devi, told
us that the adjournment was a positive development because it
provided time for the GON to engage in talks with the
Maoists. Lilamani Pokharel, Vice President of People's Front
Nepal (a party close to the Maoists) agreed, adding that
since there was no representation of the Maoists in the
Parliament, a recess could allow the Maoists to better trust
the GON's intentions.
Comment
--------------
4. (C) The government has kept faith with its promise to
remove the King from all parliamentary affairs -- effectively
turning him into a ceremonial monarch. The decision to
recess has probably improved the atmosphere for ongoing talks
between the GON and the Maoists (Septel).
SCHWARTZ
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2016
TAGS: PGOV NP
SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT TAKES FINAL ACTIONS BEFORE RECESS
REF: A. KATHMANDU 1494
B. KATHMANDU 1268
Classified By: CDA Larry Schwartz. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
Parliament Further Curbs King's Power
--------------
1. (SBU) On June 15, the Government of Nepal (GON) took
further actions to curb the powers of the King. The House of
Representative passed a regulation that took away the King's
power to appoint the Chief of Army Staff, putting the Nepal
Army completely under civilian control. The House also
transferred the King's authority to issue ordinances to the
Cabinet, allowing the Cabinet to promulgate an ordinance
after consultation with the Ministry of Law, Justice and
Parliamentary Affairs. The House also took a third step to
remove the requirement that the Parliament notify and obtain
prior consent from the King before making decisions.
According to press reports and our contacts, these new steps
removed the King completely from Parliamentary affairs -- a
key demand of the Maoists and of the April people's movement
(Ref A). All politicos we spoke to saw the new regulations
as a positive development.
Parliamentary Committees Formed
--------------
2. (C) Parliament created three special committees to look
into security, appointments and other matters related to the
May 18 House of Representatives declaration (Ref B): Special
Security Committee, House of Representatives Proclamation
Implementation Special Committee and Parliamentary Hearing
Special Committee. The House also reinstated nine regular
committees: Finance Committee, Public Accounts Committee,
Foreign Affairs and Human Rights Committee, Natural Resources
Committee, Environmental Protection Committee, Population and
Social Committee, State Affairs Management Committee, Law,
Justice and Parliamentary Committee, and Development
Committee. Manohar Prasad Bhattarai, Joint Secretary in the
Parliament Secretariat, informed us that the nine regular
committees were nothing new, but simply a reinstatement of
the committees created by the Parliament in 1999. He said
that the final make-up of these committees would be decided
within the next few days.
Parliament Recesses
--------------
3. (C) The last decision made by the Parliament was to
adjourn for seventeen days, until July 2. Anil Jha, Joint
General Secretary of Nepal Sadbhavana Party-Ananda Devi, told
us that the adjournment was a positive development because it
provided time for the GON to engage in talks with the
Maoists. Lilamani Pokharel, Vice President of People's Front
Nepal (a party close to the Maoists) agreed, adding that
since there was no representation of the Maoists in the
Parliament, a recess could allow the Maoists to better trust
the GON's intentions.
Comment
--------------
4. (C) The government has kept faith with its promise to
remove the King from all parliamentary affairs -- effectively
turning him into a ceremonial monarch. The decision to
recess has probably improved the atmosphere for ongoing talks
between the GON and the Maoists (Septel).
SCHWARTZ