NEPAL: SPEAKER SAYS INTERIM PARLIAMENT SERIOUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001332

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/2017
TAGS: PREL ECON PREF PTER KDEM BT NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: SPEAKER SAYS INTERIM PARLIAMENT SERIOUS
ABOUT ELECTION

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

Summary
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1. (C) Speaker of the Interim Parliament Subash Nemwang told
the Ambassador July 10 that the Interim Parliament was busy
preparing for the Constituent Assembly (CA) election and the
passage of a new budget. Nemwang stated that, after the
budget was passed, the Interim Parliament had one more
election bill to pass and then the eight parties would need
to agree on legislative priorities. Nemwang reported that
Members of Parliament had discussed the resettlement of
Bhutanese refugees and had voiced no opposition. Nemwang
informed the Ambassador the Maoists were behaving but that
the Maoist Young Communist League continued to pose a
problem. The Speaker explained that the upcoming Maoist
convention was intended to inform the national Maoist cadre
about recent political developments and prepare them for the
November CA election. Nemwang confirmed that he would be a
candidate in the upcoming polls and that his party, the
Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML),
had rejected the idea of forming a left front with the
Maoists.

Interim Parliament Busy with Budget and Election
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2. (C) During the Ambassador's farewell call on July 10,
Speaker of the Interim Parliament Subash Nemwang told him
that the Chief of the Election Commission (EC) had reported
to the Interim Parliament that the EC was technically
prepared for the election and that it was now up to the
political parties to do their part. Nemwang stated that the
Interim Parliament was busy preparing for the passage of a
new budget but was very serious about the election and had
only one election bill left to pass. After Parliament passed
the budget, the eight governing parties would need to agree
on legislative priorities. The Speaker said that the Interim
Parliament had twenty bills awaiting consideration, but would
probably only be able to consider seven or eight. He noted
that three of the bills at the top of the agenda were the
Civil Service Reform Act, the Human Trafficking Bill, and a
bill addressing the rights and status of non-resident
Nepalis. (Note: The human trafficking bill also addresses
abductions. End Note) In response to the Ambassador's
inquiry, the Speaker indicated that the list did not include
any legislation regarding adoptions.

Resettlement of Bhutanese Refugees Discussed
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3. (C) The Speaker indicated that the Members of the Interim
Parliament had discussed Prime Minister Koirala's recent
commitment in the Government of Nepal's Policies and Programs
paper supporting third-country resettlement for the Bhutanese
refugees. The MPs had not offered any opposition to the
policy. The Ambassador stated that the U.S., for its part,
was ready and determined to move forward with resettlement.
He stressed that the Bhutanese refugees should not have to
spend their entire lives in the camps; rather, they needed a
real alternative and resettlement offered them hope for a
better future. The Ambassador shared his concerns that the
Maoists (both the Communist Party of Bhutan (CPB) and Nepali
Maoists) looked upon the camps as a source of revolutionary
fervor and recruits. He added that the CPB alliance with
pro-repatriation Bhutanese leaders was unfortunate, as these
traditional leaders were more reasonable and would be open to
meaningful dialogue.

No UML - Maoist Alliance
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4. (C) Nemwang confirmed that he would be one of the
Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML)
candidates in the upcoming Constituent Assembly election and
added that he hoped there would be allowances for his
candidacy while also serving as the Speaker of the Interim
Parliament. (Note: Traditionally, the Speaker and the rest

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of the MPs resign in advance of a general election. However,
the CA Members Election Act provides that the Interim
Parliament need not be dissolved prior to the election,
possibly bringing the Speaker's position and candidacy into
conflict. End Note) Nemwang told the Ambassador that he had
not participated in the 15-day CPN-UML Central Committee
meeting which concluded July 9, but he confirmed that his
party had ruled out forming a common left front with the
Maoists.

Maoists in Parliament Behaving
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5. (C) In response to the Ambassador's question, the Speaker
reported that the Maoists in the Interim Parliament were
"behaving," but that the Maoist Young Communist League (YCL)
continued to be a problem in the country. Nemwang stated it
was his understanding that the Maoist leaders were organizing
the upcoming Maoist party convention later in July in order
to inform the national cadre about recent political
developments and to prepare them for the CA election. The
Speaker noted that the Maoists were talking to the Election
Commission about their preferred "election symbol." Another
party, the United Left Front, had apparently already claimed
the hammer and sickle logo.

Comment
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6. (C) In closing, the Ambassador thanked the Speaker for his
cooperation and congratulated Nemwang on having done such
good work in a tough position. The Ambassador urged Nemwang
to keep pushing for seven-party unity and the elimination of
violence as a political tool. We see the Speaker's evident
commitment to a November election and the absence of
widespread criticism or disapproval of the key election bill
as promising signs. It will now be up to the parties to
maintain sufficient unity while explaining their respective
party platforms and the purpose of the CA election itself to
an uninformed electorate. At the same time, the seven-party
alliance will need to hold a tough line with the Maoists to
secure a free and fair election and to ensure that the
Maoists don't derail the electoral process.
MORIARTY