MEDIA REACTION NEPAL/IRAQ - TOKYO

UNCLAS TOKYO 002330 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR, EAP/J, EAP/P, PM; USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE; TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI; SECDEF FOR OASD/PA; CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE; PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION NEPAL/IRAQ - TOKYO LEAD STORIES: Most Friday morning papers front-paged reports from Washington on Sakie Yokota's testimony on Thursday before Congress concerning North Korea's kidnapping of her daughter Megumi. ¶1. "Nepal: Back to the Starting Point for Democratization" An editorial in the top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri commented (4/28): "Facing daily demonstrations by over 100,000 people calling for the reinstatement of parliament, the defiant king had no choice but to yield. King Gyanendra announced that he would give up the direct rule he had exercised since February 2005 and reinstate the parliament that he dissolved four years ago. Seven major political parties played a key role in bringing an end to the massive demonstrations that had continued since April 6. With the reopening of parliament on Friday, a new government will be formed. Nevertheless, the road to reconstruction and stable parliamentary democracy will be a bumpy one. The focus now is on how Maoist rebels will react.... ¶2. "The rebels have shown no signs of disarming, and they continue to call for the abolition of the monarchy.... Although parliament has been reinstated, Nepal has only returned to the starting point of democratization. Nearly 70 percent of the country's land is under the control of the Maoist rebels. Strong public support for the government is necessary to urge the rebels to disarm and participate in politics. The new government should look to improve public welfare while devising new systems. International assistance is also necessary. India sent a special emissary to urge the king to give up direct rule, threatening to impose punitive measures, including a trade ban, if he did not. The US and the UN also applied pressure." ¶3. "New Iraqi Government: Overcome Sectarian and Ethnic Divides" The moderate Tokyo Shimbun editorialized (4/28): "Some four months after Iraq's parliamentary elections, a prime minister for a permanent government has finally been named. Although work is already underway to cobble together an administration, there is fierce competition among the factions in the planned coalition over the key interior and oil minister posts. The formation of a national unity government is the only way to reconstruct Iraq.... In a policy speech, incoming Prime Minister al- Maliki called for just that. It is fair to assume that Secretary of State Rice and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld SIPDIS hurriedly visited Iraq to urge faction leaders to form a coalition government." DONOVAN