GON AND MAOISTS KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 002166 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2016 TAGS: PGOV PTER NP SUBJECT: GON AND MAOISTS KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD REF: KATHMANDU 2154 Classified By: AMBASSADOR JAMES F. MORIARTY, REASONS 1.4 (B/D). ¶1. (U) Nepali media have reported that negotiations between the GON and Nepal's Maoists on August 9 resulted in an agreed letter to the United Nations signed by Prime Minister G.P. Koirala and Maoist leader Prachanda. In a joint press conference, the two announced agreement on a 5 point request to the United Nations. Quote: -- 1) Continue its human rights monitoring through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal(OHCHR, Nepal) -- 2) Assist the monitoring of the Code of Conduct during the ceasefire -- 3) On the basis of the agreement to seek UN assistance in the "management of arms and armed personnel of both the sides," deploy qualified civilian personnel to monitor and verify the confinement of CPN-M combatants and their weapons within designated cantonment areas. Later the modalities for all agreements, including of arms and munitions, will be worked out among the parties and the UN. -- 4) Monitor the Nepal Army to ensure that it remains in its barracks and its weapons are not used for or against any side. The modalities will be worked out among the parties and the UN -- 5) Provide election observation for the election of the Constituent Assembly in consultation with the parties. Unquote. Reportedly the letter requesting UN assistance on this agreed basis has been transmitted to the UN office here in Kathmandu. Comment -------------- ¶2. (C) Reftel reported our expectation that the parties might come to a temporizing agreement that would postpone resolution of the intractable arms management issue while allowing Nepal to meet the August 10 deadline imposed by the UN delegation headed by Staffan de Mistura. That has come to pass, and it will be up to the UN to decide what it will do with a "consensus" document that fudges the most important issue related to the peace process. Of the five points in the agreement, 1, 2 and 5 have been non-controversial. Point 4 -- UN monitoring of the Nepal Army -- represents an earlier concession by GON, but also presumably implies that the Nepal Army will retain its weapons while confined to barracks. Point 3 glosses over the main bone of contention since the outset -- whether the Maoists will agree to be separated from their weapons as the price for joining the political mainstream. Today's result is, in effect, an agreement to disagree on this central point. It is good to see that the GON has not caved in to Maoist pressure to accept their continued bearing of arms. Nevertheless, the Maoist determination to retain the option of violence is clearly undiminished. MORIARTY