NEPAL: MINORITY LEADERS DEMAND MEANINGFUL ELECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001118

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PHUM KDEM NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: MINORITY LEADERS DEMAND MEANINGFUL ELECTIONS


Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

Summary
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1. (C) On May 31, three leaders from politically
underrepresented groups and a human rights leader expressed
to visiting Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights
and Labor Barry Lowenkron and Ambassador Moriarty their
concerns about equal representation in the Government and a
meaningful Constituent Assembly election. The Nepalis
stressed that minorities and "backward" classes were grossly
underrepresented in Nepal's political life. They did not
agree on which election system would best serve their
constituent groups, but they all wanted to see a transparent
process that was inclusive.

Ethnic Groups Underrepresented in Politics
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2. (C) At a meeting on May 31, a few senior representatives
of Nepal's ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples, as well
as Subodh Pyakurel, President of Informal Sector Service
Center (INSEC),a Nepali human rights organizations, met with
Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
Barry Lowenkron and Ambassador Moriarty. The Nepali leaders
noted that Nepal's indigenous people or Janjati and "backward
classes," including the Dalits, were vastly underrepresented
in the government and the political parties. The Chairman of
the Dalit Welfare Organization, Moti Lal Nepal, pointed out
that, traditionally, the political parties had only appointed
one or two token Dalits to their leadership ranks. He
stressed that many Dalits had participated in the People's
Movement to realize democracy and had made difficult personal
sacrifices. These people, he emphasized, deserved to be
included in the political process. (Note: Dalits represent
approximately 13 percent of Nepal's population. There are
almost no Dalit MPs in the 329 member Interim Parliament.)

Meaningful Election Requires Proportional System?
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3. (C) Awadhesh Kumar Singh from the Madhesis People's Rights
Forum (MPRF) claimed that the Constituent Assembly election
would only be meaningful if a purely proportional system were
utilized. A mixed election system, he stated, was
unacceptable to the marginalized communities and, until the
election system dispute was resolved, there was no point in
setting a date for the election. Subodh Pyakurel disagreed,
stating that a purely proportional system would protect the
status quo and help the mainstream political parties maintain
their positions. The Ambassador asked what the speakers
meant by a proportional system. Were they referring to a
system in which each political party is entitled to a
proportional number of seats or a system in which each ethnic
group is entitled to a proportional number of seats? There
was no consensus on this issue. The Nepal Federation of
Indigenous Nationalities Advisor, Chaitnya Subba, noted that
not all of the political parties or ethnic groups had
substantial enough numbers for a completely proportional
system to work well for them. In the alternative, he
suggested that the Interim Constitution be modified to
increase the number of seats reserved for underrepresented
groups, including the Janajatis, suppressed tribes, people
from backward regions and women.

Squashed Expectations and Terror In The Terai
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4. (C) The INSEC President Pyakurel complained that the
Nepali media were not covering the Madhesi movement
adequately. When asked why, he replied that there was
pessimism and terror in the media, and the press was no
longer willing to take the necessary risks to uncover the
truth. He explained that now in Nepal, "the more you are
able to break the law the stronger your personality becomes."
Pyakurel said that what had happened in the Terai was not a
planned revolt, but rather a spontaneous movement. He
described the Mahdesi people as a very peaceful and tolerant
society, which had now been "thrust out." He said that all

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of the backward classes had been disempowered in the past
through very bitter experiences. When the Maoists raised
people's expectations and then could not deliver, they
created a very dangerous situation. He noted that weak law
and order had bred resentment and disillusionment. He
concluded that the disturbances in the Terai were the result
of the government's disregard of the people's demand for
equality and fair treatment.

Importance of Transparent Process and Education
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5. (C) The Ambassador commented that the Interim Constitution
was the product of a flawed process because it was created by
a few politicians behind closed doors. If public support had
been sought, the Ambassador suggested, a great deal of the
current DISCORD and conflict could have been avoided. The
INSEC President agreed and commented that there was "a real
absence of confidence in the system." Awadhesh Singh, from
the MPRF, stated that, if the political parties did not make
an effort to reform the system to be more inclusive, the
Madhesi people would be no better off than they were under
the king. Pyakurel added that cultural change was also very
important and that the Constituent Assembly could not bring
about all the necessary changes in Nepali society. He
stressed that capacity building was crucial and emphasized
the need for education. The Dalit Welfare Organization
Chairman Moti Nepal concurred, adding that education was a
central issue in the establishment of an inclusive democracy
and the breaking down of the old feudal structures.

A Government Accountable to the People
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6. (C) NEFIN Advisor Chaitnya Subbba said that the only way
forward was to conduct a meaningful election that brought a
government into power that was accountable to the people.
With the Maoists already in the government, he stressed,
elections were necessary to legitimize their presence in the
Parliament; all of the groups needed to cooperate. The
problem, he noted, was that the big parties were not that
interested in working to find an inclusive solution. Moti
Nepal added that the political parties were trying to divide
and conquer. He emphasized that the Madhesi people were
divided and that they needed to create a synergy. Subodh
Pyakurel agreed and reiterated that the big question was how
to make the political parties listen when they did not really
want a transfer of power.

Comment
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7. (C) While the Dalit, Janjati and Madhesi leaders did not
necessarily agree on the way forward, their common
frustration with the status quo was obvious. Nepal's
governing elite, who are drawn from the upper castes from the
hills, would be well served to listen to their fellow
countrymen, open up a real dialogue, and offer minority
groups the opportunity for inclusion in the political
process. It is also clear that the debate about which
election system to use is not well defined. "Proportional"
means a number of different things and is being used
arbitrarily without definition. The same is true of the term
"federalism." The political naivete of a large segment of
the population should not be forgotten. Yet, regardless of
the capacity or level of education that exists within these
groups, a Pandora's box of expectations has been opened for
the so-called "backward" classes; and the political elite
will ignore at its peril their cries for more equitable
participation in the politics of the nation.


9. (U) Assistant Secretary Lowenkron has cleared this message.
MORIARTY