NEPAL: PEACE MINISTER SAYS EUROPEANS PAMPERING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001333

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KDEM MARR EAD UN NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: PEACE MINISTER SAYS EUROPEANS PAMPERING
MAOISTS


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

Summary
--------------


1. (C) On July 10, Minister of Peace and Reconstruction Ram
Chandra Poudel told the Ambassador that the Maoists were
delaying resumption of the combatant verification and had not
changed their behavior. The Minister complained that the
Europeans, by "pampering" the Maoists, were increasing Maoist
stature while ignoring Maoist failure to comply with peace
agreement commitments. Poudel emphasized, and the Ambassador
agreed, that if the other political parties were clear in
their stance toward the Maoists and united, the Maoists could
be forced to improve their behavior. If Prime Minister
Koirala died before the Constituent Assembly election, the
Peace Minister foresaw a political stalemate that would leave
him as acting Prime Minister. Poudel ventured that with the
support of the Government of India, the problems in the Terai
could be solved.

Europeans Pampering Maoists
--------------


2. (C) At a farewell call on July 10, Minister of Peace and
Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel told the Ambassador that
the Maoists were delaying verification by the UN Mission in
Nepal of Maoist combatants, had not changed their habits of
violence and intimidation and were still holding confiscated
land and property. Poudel complained that the Europeans were
"pampering" the Maoists and asked the Ambassador to talk with
his European counterparts. The Peace and Reconstruction
Minister and the Ambassador agreed that increasing the
stature of the Maoists without first requiring a change in
their behavior was harmful. The Ambassador conceded that
several of the European bilateral relationships with the
Maoists were confusing, but noted that the European Union was
trying to be helpful. The EU was bringing in a large number
of observers for the November Constituent Assembly election,
for example. The Ambassador advised Poudel to continue
holding a tough line with the Maoists.

Political Parties Need a Clear Stand on the Maoists
-------------- --------------


3. (C) Poudel and the Ambassador concurred that it was
critical for all of the mainstream parties to press the
Maoists to meet all of their peace process commitments. The
Ambassador stated that, if the other parties could stay
united, the Maoists would have no choice but to go along.
Poudel agreed, but emphasized that the other parties in the
Interim Government had no clear policy toward the Maoists; he
noted specifically the Communist Party of Nepal-United
Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML),which recently considered an
alliance with the Maoists at its Central Committee meeting.
The Peace Minister stressed that if the other parties were
clear, the Maoists would be sidelined.

Poudel Foresees Political Stalemate
--------------


4. (C) Poudel confirmed that, if the Prime Minister died or
became incapacitated before the Constituent Assembly election
was held, Poudel would become acting Prime Minister until the
other political parties reached a consensus on a successor.
The Peace Minister explained that he did not believe the
Maoists or the CPN-UML would be able to reach an agreement on
a leftist candidate. The result would be a political
stalemate that would keep him acting as Prime Minister and
the Nepali Congress Party leading the country until the
election was held.

Madhesis' Demands Met; India To Tighten Border

KATHMANDU 00001333 002 OF 002


-------------- -


5. (C) The Ambassador told the Minister that he was
optimistic in light of the Interim Parliament's passage of
the necessary election legislation and the absence of
widespread negative reaction to the key Constituent Assembly
Members Election Act. Poudel responded that the Interim
Parliament had met the Madhesis' demand for proportional
representation and had properly postponed to the Constituent
Assembly consideration of the question of "self
determination." Regarding violence in the Terai, the Peace
Minister informed the Ambassador that, in recent meetings
with the Government of India (GOI),GOI leaders had committed
to tightening the border. The Minister stressed that the
dialogue during these meetings and the attitude of the Indian
leadership had given him hope that the problems in the Terai
could be solved.

Communicating the Ministry's Mandate
--------------


6. (C) The Ambassador inquired about the Ministry's public
relations strategy and asked whether the Ministry was
implementing or had plans to implement the media and
communication strategy that it had developed in cooperation
with a USAID consultant. (Note: USAID, through its Office of
Transition Initiatives (OTI),supported a media consultant in
March and April to assist the then Peace Secretariat to
develop a media and communication strategy to more
effectively inform the public about the peace process and the
mandate of the Ministry.) The Minister responded that the
Ministry had three important mandates: internally displaced
persons, reconstruction of critical infrastructure destroyed
during the conflict, and the promotion of the peace process.
Poudel did not refer directly to the media strategy, but
stated that the Ministry was playing an important role in
mediating between competing interest groups.

Comment
--------------


7. (C) In closing, the Ambassador congratulated Minister
Poudel on his active leadership of the new Peace and
Reconstruction Ministry since its formation April 1. He
praised Poudel for a commendable job mediating between the
various minority groups and the political parties. Poudel's
frustration with the Maoists and the response of much of the
international community is understandable, as is his
frustration with the ambiguity of the political parties
toward the Maoists. The support of the GOI in tightening the
border will reduce violence in the Terai, but it will not
solve the problems. Security in the Terai will ultimately
depend more on the political parties' ability, and
particularly the Nepali Congress party as head of the Interim
Government, to assuage the minority groups' concerns about
inclusiveness and the election process while sidelining the
extremists.
MORIARTY