NEPAL: INDIANS WANT TIMELY ELECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000647 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER IN NP SUBJECT: NEPAL: INDIANS WANT TIMELY ELECTIONS REF: STATE 39369 Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty. Reasons 1.4 (b/d). Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) On March 28, Indian Charge d'Affaires Dr. Kheya Bhattacharya stressed to the Ambassador the importance of holding the Constituent Assembly election by June as specified in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Since only an interim government could declare the date for the election under the interim constitution, the Government of India (GOI) wanted it formed as soon as possible. The GOI hoped that bringing the Maoists into government would make them more publicly accountable for their actions. That said, it was unlikely that an interim government would be put together before the SAARC summit. Bhattacharya said that the GOI was not happy with the handling of the situation in the Terai, and lamented that "misinformation" had failed to hold the Maoists accountable for their actions. Bhattacharya agreed to convey to New Delhi U.S. concerns that, unless Maoist violence and intimidation were checked, a speedy election would not be a free and fair one. Timely Election Is Important -------------- ¶2. (C) Dr. Kheya Bhattacharya, Charge d'Affaires of the Indian Embassy, told the Ambassador March 28 that the GOI planned to continue to push hard for the Government of NEPAL (GON) to hold the election to the Constituent Assembly by the CPA's mid-June deadline. Any delay in the election could allow regressive forces, such as the King, to "fish in troubled waters." The Ambassador emphasized to Bhattacharya that the GON needed to begin effectively enforcing law and order in order for the election to be free and fair. The Indian Charge responded that the GOI was also concerned about the present weak law and order situation in the country. The GOI would go along with any decision the GON made about the date of the election, but Bhattacharya believed it was vital that the GON hold the election in a timely manner. Formation Of Interim Government Soon -------------- ¶3. (C) Bhattacharya said that, since the announcement of the timing of the election was dependent on the formation of an interim government, the interim government should be formed soon. The GOI believed that assigning the Maoists government ministries would help change their behavior and hold them more publicly accountable for their actions. The Ambassador stated that the Maoists had been promising to change their behavior since the beginning of the cease-fire ten months ago, but Maoist violence, intimidation, and extortion had continued relatively unabated. He worried that, if the GON gave up its last bit of leverage over the Maoists, the Maoists would quickly move towards their ultimate goal of complete state power. Bhattacharya said she understood the Ambassador's concerns and agreed to pass them on to New Delhi. Even though the GOI was pushing for a rapid formation of an interim government, Bhattacharya did not think it would be formed before the SAARC summit on April 3 and 4 in New Delhi. Situation In Terai Being Handled Badly -------------- ¶4. (C) Bhattacharya complained that both the GON and the Maoists had handled the situation in the Terai badly. The GON needed to effectively enforce law and order across the country, especially in the Terai. However, the large amount of misinformation the media and human rights activists were providing on the conflict in the Terai was frustrating, the diplomat complained. The Maoists were not being held accountable for their actions. Instead, most of the blame for the killings in Gaur, for example, had been placed solely on the shoulders of the Madhesis, and India was being slandered for its alleged role in the troubles. KATHMANDU 00000647 002 OF 002 Maoists Need To Change -------------- ¶5. (C) Bhattacharya explained that the GOI had been pressing the GON to hold the Maoists accountable to their peace commitments. She acknowledged that extortion was ongoing, more Maoist weapons were not moving into the storage units in the cantonments, and the Maoists were not returning seized land. However, she did not agree to tie the fulfillment of these commitments with Maoist entry into an interim government. The Ambassador stressed that the U.S. continued to believe that formation of an interim government before Maoist actions changed would be dangerous for Nepal. Comment -------------- ¶6. (C) The GOI is playing a dangerous game by pushing for the speedy formation of an interim government and Constituent Assembly election by June. By pressing the GON to give up the last bargaining chip it has in negotiations, New Delhi may be opening the door for the Maoists to move into a prime position to seize state power. We thus particularly appreciate the fine cooperation and initiative the Department and Embassy New Delhi are showing in attempting to address this issue with the GOI. MORIARTY