Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KATHMANDU1908
2006-07-17 13:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:  

CONFUSION MOUNTS OVER INTERIM PARLIAMENT; MORE

Tags:  PGOV PTER NP 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKT #1908/01 1981327
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 171327Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2381
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 4589
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 4843
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 9959
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 2830
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 4240
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0005
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001908 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2016
TAGS: PGOV PTER NP
SUBJECT: CONFUSION MOUNTS OVER INTERIM PARLIAMENT; MORE
TALKS AHEAD


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Nick Dean. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

SUMMARY
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 001908

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2016
TAGS: PGOV PTER NP
SUBJECT: CONFUSION MOUNTS OVER INTERIM PARLIAMENT; MORE
TALKS AHEAD


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Nick Dean. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) Informal talks July 14 between leaders of the two
largest parties of the Seven-Party Alliance and the Maoists
set the stage for agreement between the GON/Maoist
negotiation teams to hold the next talks on July 21. The
July 14 talks among the Nepali Congress (NC),the CPN-UML,
and Maoists demonstrated the parties' frustration over
feeling left out and uninformed about ongoing negotiations.
Although our political contacts assured us that no concrete
decisions had been made at the July 14 meeting, media
continue to report that the talks led to an agreement to form
an interim Parliament. On July 15, an official meeting
between the GON and Maoist negotiation teams expanded the
Interim Constitution Drafting Committee (ICDC) and created a
new committee to return Maoist-seized property. The Maoists
continued making mischief in the districts, this time
obstructing development projects in an apparent attempt to
pressure the GON before the July 21 talks. End Summary.

CONFUSION MOUNTS OVER INTERIM PARLIAMENT
--------------


2. (C) The NC and CPN-UML, led respectively by party Vice
President Sushil Koirala and General Secretary Madhav Kumar
Nepal, met on July 14 with Maoist Chairman Prachanda, his
deputy Baburam Bhattarai, and other Maoist representatives to
review ongoing negotiations over prior agreements. Both
sides expressed greater confidence in the negotiations,
reaffirming their desire to follow the eight-point agreement
and Code of Conduct. NC General Secretary Ram Chandra Poudel
explained to Emboff on July 17 that, despite media reports,
the informal talks had come to no conclusion about an interim
Parliament. Poudel clarified that although the Maoists had
raised the issue of an interim Parliament, Prachanda never
indicated that he would agree to one. Poudel told us that he
had told the Maoists to wait for the interim constitution
before worrying about an interim government. Although
CPN-UML Central Committee Member Jhalanath Khanal told the
media that the Maoists were "not negative" toward the idea of
joining the existing Parliament, Maoist spokesman Krishna

Bahadur Mahara said on Nepali television that the Maoists
were a parallel government to the GON and would not join an
existing GON body.

DISCUSSION FORESHADOWS LARGER TALKS
--------------


3. (C) The two sides opted to let negotiators at the next
round of high-level talks flesh out the details of an interim
Parliament. Poudel told us that the informal meeting had set
July 21 for the next high-level talks between the Seven-Party
Alliance and the Maoists. The CPN-UML's Jhalanath Khanal
separately told Emboff that no concrete decisions had been
made about any issue, all of which would come up during the
July 21 peace talks.


4. (C) Poudel informed Emboff that political party leaders
had raised the issue of Maoists not showing commitment to the
November 12-point understanding or the June 8-point
agreement. The party leaders had urged the Maoists to return
seized property to the people and create an environment for
all political workers to operate in their districts and
villages without fear. Poudel stated that the all attendees
had agreed to constitute central- and district-level
committees of Seven-Party Alliance members and Maoists to
address these problems. Poudel also said that the issue of
weapons management had come up during the meeting. He
speculated that the talks teams would work to determine the
terms of UN arms management supervision.

GON LEFT OUT OF THE LOOP?
--------------


5. (SBU) Prime Minister and NC President GP Koirala and
Speaker of the House Subash Nemwang both claimed not to have
had prior knowledge of the July 14 meeting, which was held at
a Kathmandu-area resort. Nemwang told journalists that he

had learned of the event through newspapers and was surprised
when PM Koirala claimed ignorance about the meeting and its
outcome. Nemwang criticized the participants for making
decisions without consulting others in the government.
Subsequently, PM Koirala said that scrapping the incumbent
Parliament was not an option. Sushil Koirala and Poudel
denied that they had agreed to such a thing during the
meeting. Madhav Kumar Nepal, on the other hand, later told a
CPN-UML Kathmandu District Committee meeting that the
existing Parliament could be replaced through a political
decision because, he said, "there is no possibility of
constituting a new institution of people's representatives
through fresh elections at present." MK Nepal clarified that
the Parliament should not be dissolved in haste, but neither
should it be prolonged for an indefinite period.

NEGOTIATION TEAMS APPOINT COMMITTEE MEMBERS, FORMALIZE NEXT
ROUND OF TALKS
-------------- --------------


6. (SBU) In a July 15 meeting at the Peace Secretariat, the
GON and Maoist negotiation teams agreed to add ten members to
the Interim Constitution Drafting Committee (ICDC),formed a
committee to return property seized by Maoists, and formally
set the next round of high-level talks for July 21. The
negotiation teams named nine of the 10 new members for the
ICDC, including three women and two CPN-UML (the only major
party that was not represented in the original six-member
committee),and declared that a tenth person would come from
the underrepresented Dalit (untouchable) community. The
negotiation teams extended the duration of the ICDC until the
end of July. The meeting also decided to form a six-member
committee to focus on the issue of returning property
confiscated by Maoists. This committee includes two members
each from the NC, the CPN-UML, and the Maoists.

MAOISTS UP TO THEIR OLD TRICKS
--------------


7. (SBU) According to press reports, Maoists in the
southeastern district of Siraha prevented prospective
contractors from competing for District Development Committee
(DDC) contracts worth 12.5 million rupees (approximately USD
169,000). The Kathmandu Post reported that the Maoists, who
had bid for the contracts, stole submitted offers from the
DDC office and barred other interested parties from entering
DDC premises. Additionally, the Maoists reportedly banned
work on all infrastructure development projects in the
district, including those geared toward improving health,
education, electricity, and drinking water. The Maoists
claimed that they were going to institute similar bans in
other districts in order to pressure the GON before the July
21 talks.

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


8. (C) The July 14 meeting between a few political party and
Maoist leaders is representative of Nepal's peace process as
a whole: players left out of the loop, important decisions
made without consensus, and general confusion about what
transpired. Complaints by party leaders of lack of inclusion
in the peace process that followed the June 16 eight-point
agreement continue to multiply. Politicians continue to
maneuver for advantage, and the Maoists continue to exploit
differences among party leaders to gain the upper hand. The
July 21 talks have value in sustaining the peace process, but
will probably have limited formal, concrete outcomes. The
constitution drafting committee, for its part, is still
wrestling with the shape of Nepal's interim constitution and
government.

DEAN