REACTION ON FORMATION OF INTERIM GOVERNMENT AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 KATHMANDU 000676 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR NP SUBJECT: REACTION ON FORMATION OF INTERIM GOVERNMENT AND BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION OF MINISTERS REF: KATHMANDU 669 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Political leaders offered mixed reactions to the formation of the 22-member interim government headed by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala (reftel). Although the leaders were largely supportive of the formation of an interim government, they were not pleased with the reappointment of Krishna Prasad Sitaula as a Home Minister. Many also criticized the distribution of portfolios given to the Maoists. Biographic information provided below. NC Leader Worried About Maoist Role in Government -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Chakra Prasad Bastola, Central Committee Member of the Nepali Congress (NC) Party, believed that the inclusion of the Communist Party of Nepal - Maoists (CPN-M) in an interim government was critical to the peace process and to bringing the Maoists into mainstream politics. He was less sanguine, however, about Maoist intentions. Bastola commented that NC party workers were demoralized after seeing the Maoists grab control of important ministries having direct links with the public, particularly the Ministry of Information and Ministry of Local Development. Control of these ministries has created an opportunity for the Maoists to influence the public in their favor, he said. Bastola particularly lamented the reappointment of Krishna Prasad Sitaula as Home Minister; he believed that Sitaula followed the directives of the Maoist leaders. NC-D Leader Unsure of Maoist Intentions -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Prakash Sharan Mahat, Central Committee Member of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) (NC-D) party, was apprehensive about the formation of an interim government; most of the ministries that directly deal with the public have fallen in the lap of the Maoists, he said. Mahat quipped that, considering the Maoist track record, he was not optimistic that they would make positive changes in their behavior now that they were part of the government. CPN-UML Leader Positive That IG Means Progress On Elections -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Jhalanath Khanal, Central Committee Member of the Communist Party of Nepal - United Marxist Leninist (UML), said that the formation of the interim government was a critical step on the path towards holding Constituent Assembly elections. However, he was dissatisfied with the distribution of portfolios, claiming that the Maoists had snatched a few major ministries critical to the government's public relations. Like others, Khanal was displeased with the reappointment of Home Minister Sitaula and believed it was due to combined pressure from India and the Maoists. Khanal further noted that PM Koirala needed to take responsibility for imposing law and order in the country. NSP-A Leader Says IG Formation Failed To Mention Madhesis -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Sarita Giri, Central Committee Member of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi) (NSP-A),said that she was not satisfied with the policies and programs of the Interim Government because there was no mention of the Madhesi rights movement. Moreover, the Prime Minister had added fuel to Madhesi grievances by reappointing Home Minister Sitaula, whose resignation the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) had demanded as a precondition for talks with the government. Giri also claimed that Nepali women were dissatisfied with the interim government formation as only two out of 22 portfolios had been given to women. KATHMANDU 00000676 002 OF 006 Comment -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Formation of the interim government, while greeted by political party leaders as a necessary step toward holding Constituent Assembly elections, was broadly criticized for giving the Maoists ministries with too much direct contact with the Nepali public and not going far enough to include ethnic minorities. Political party leaders also unequivocally criticized the reappointment of Home Minister Sitaula, which we agree will do little to allay continued tensions in the Terai or to improve enforcement of the law against Maoist violations. ¶7. (SBU) Biographic Information: Girija Prasad Koirala Prime Minister and Defense Minister -------------- Girija Prasad Koirala was appointed for the sixth time as Prime Minister of Nepal and formed a 22-member cabinet on April 1. He is regarded as a tough, decisive and shrewd party organizer. He is well-disposed towards the U.S. and favors U.S. business investment in Nepal. Koirala maintains close ties to Indian politicians and favors a strong Indo-Nepalese relationship. He was born in 1925 in Bihar, India to a politically active family of Nepalese origin. A widower, Koirala speaks English well. His daughter, Sujata Koirala, is politically active in the Nepali Congress Party. Sahana Pradhan Minister of Foreign Affairs -------------- Sahana Pradhan was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the interim government. In the interim government of 1990, Pradhan had served as the Minister of Industry and Commerce. She also served as the Minister of Forest and Soil Conservation in 1997. She is an ethnic Newar of Kathmandu. Pradhan is active and energetic, and was involved in the women's preparatory group for the Beijing Conference. She is the wife of late Pushpa Lal, Founding President of the Communist Party of Nepal. She was born on June 15, 1932 in Kathmandu, and holds a Master's degree in Economics from Tribhuvan University. She has one daughter and one son. Her English is good. Ram Saran Mahat Minister of Finance -------------- Ram Saran Mahat was reappointed Minister of Finance in the interim government. He was appointed as the Joint General Secretary of the Nepali Congress Party in 2005, but resigned SIPDIS from the post in May 2006. He also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from June 1999 to February 2000. He was elected as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund for 1999. Mahat was born in January 1951 in Nuwakot District. He was awarded a Doctorate degree in Economics from Poona University, India in 1979. He is married and has one son and one daughter. His English is excellent. Krishna Prasad Sitaula Minister of Home Affairs -------------- Krishna Prasad Sitaula was reappointed Minister of Home Affairs in the interim government. He was appointed as the Spokesperson of the Nepali Congress Party on October 18, 2005, but resigned from the post on May 5, 2006. He was elected to the House of Representatives on a Nepali Congress ticket from Jhapa District in 1999. He was born on November 9, 1949 in Terhathum District. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Law and Science from Tribhuvan University. He is married KATHMANDU 00000676 003 OF 006 to Kabita and has one son and two daughters. Ram Chandra Poudel Minister of Peace and Reconstruction -------------- Ram Chandra Poudel, NC Party General Secretary, was appointed Minister of the newly-established Peace and Reconstruction Ministry. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from March 2000 to July 2001 under G.P. Koirala. Poudel participated in a State Department Voluntary Visitor Program in 1991, at which time he toured the U.S. to study local governments. Poudel holds a Master's degree in Nepali literature from Tribhuvan University. Born in 1944, Poudel is married and has five children. His English is good. Krishna Bahadur Mahara Minister of Information and Communications -------------- Krishna Bahadur Mahara was appointed Minister of Information and Communications in the interim government. As Politburo Member and Spokesperson of the CPN (Maoist),Mahara is the senior-most Maoist in the interim government. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1991 from Rolpa District as a candidate of the United People's Front Nepal. Mahara was born on June 29, 1958 to a Chettri family in Liwang, Rolpa District. He was awarded a Bachelors degree in Education from Tribhuvan University in 1985. Mahara is married to Sita Mahara and has two sons and two daughters. Pradip Nepal Minister of Education and Sports -------------- Pradip Nepal was appointed Minister of Education and Sports in the interim government and is a UML Central Committee Member. He served as the Minister of Information and Communications from 1994 to 1995. Nepal was elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 from Kathmandu District and is considered very close to UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal. He was born on January 11, 1954 in Bhojpur District and holds a Bachelors degree in Political Science from Tribhuvan University. He has written many articles and books on Nepali literature and politics. Mahantha Thakur Minister of Environment, Science and Technology -------------- -- Mahantha Thakur of the NC Party was appointed Minister of Environment, Science and Technology in the interim government. He was previously the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives. He was appointed Treasurer of the NC Party in October 2005 and resigned from the post in May 2006. Thakur also served as the Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in 2001. Thakur visited the United States in 1992 on an International Visitors Program Grant. A Madhesi, he was born in May 1942 in Sarlahi District. He holds a Master's degree in History, is married and speaks English well. Narendra Bikram Nemwang Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs -------------- -------------- Narendra Bikram Nemwang of NC-D was reappointed Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in the interim government. He also served as the State Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies from February 2000 to April 2000 under G.P. Koirala. Nemwang was elected to the House of Representatives in 1999 from Jhapa District as a Nepali Congress candidate. He is the Central Committee Member of the NC-D Party. Nemwang was born in 1944 and holds a Bachelors degree from Government College, Darjeeling, India. He is married to Ratna, and has four sons and one daughter. KATHMANDU 00000676 004 OF 006 Dev Gurung Minister of Local Development -------------- Dev Gurung was appointed for the first time as Minister of Local Development. He is a Central Committee Member of the CPN (Maoist),and heads the Finance Department of the People's Government. Gurung was a member of the Maoist negotiating team in August 2003 and June 2006. He was born in 1959 in Manang District and holds a Master's degree in Arts from Tribhuvan University. He is married to Yasoda Gurung and has two sons. Rajendra Mahato Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies -------------- Rajendra Mahato was appointed Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies in the interim government. He is the General Secretary of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi). He SIPDIS was born on November 19, 1959 in Sarlahi District, and holds a Master's degree on Public Administration. He is married and has two sons and one daughter. Prithvi Subba Gurung Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation -------------- -- Prithvi Subba Gurung was appointed for the first time as Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation in the interim government. He is a UML Central Committee Member. He contested, but lost, the general election of 1999 from Lamjung District. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Science from Tribhuvan University. He is married and has one son and four daughters. Matrika Prasad Yadav Minister of Forest and Soil Conservation -------------- Matrika Prasad Yadav, a Maoist Central Committee member, was appointed for the first time as Minister of Forest and Soil Conservation in the interim government. He was appointed as head of the Maoist Madhesi Liberation Front on July 11, 2003. He was arrested in Patna, India in 2004 and was handed over to the Nepal Government on February 8, 2004. He was released from Jail on May 11, 2006. Yadav was born in 1947 in Dhanusha District of central Nepal. Chabi Lal Biswokarma Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives -------------- Chhabi Lal Biswokarma of the UML party was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives in the interim government. He served as Vice President of the UML-affiliated Free Student Union from 1981 to 1985. He was born on 1963 in Syangja District and holds a Diploma degree in Sports from Patiyala University, India. He is a Dalit and is married with three daughters. Hisila Yami Minister of Physical Planning and Works -------------- Hisila Yami, a Maoist Central Committee member, was appointed Minister of Physical Planning and Works in the interim government. She was formerly the CPN-M Deputy Chief of the International Department, but was placed under disciplinary action in March 2005. She is a trained architect and lecturer of Nepal Engineering Campus prior to joining the Maoist insurgency in 1996. She is the wife of Baburam Bhattarai. Jagat Bahadur Bogati KATHMANDU 00000676 005 OF 006 Minister of Land Reform and Management -------------- Jagat Bahadur Bogati was appointed Minister of Land Reforms and Management. He is the leader of the United Left Front. Bogati was with the UML until 2003. In 1998, he was the UML Central Advisory Committee Member and served as the State Minister of Commerce in the coalition government under G.P. Koirala in 1998. He was born on September 25, 1953 in Achham District. Bogati was awarded a Master's degree in Political Science from Tribhuvan University in 1981. He is married and has one son and three daughters. Khadga Bahadur Biswokarma Minister of Women, Children and Social Welfare -------------- - Khadga Bahadur Biswokarma, a Maoist, was appointed for the first time as Minister of Women, Children and Social Welfare in the interim government. He is an alternate Central Committee member of the CPN-M and is also the Chairman of Bheri-Karnali Regional Autonomous People's Government. Biswokarma is also Chief of the Maoist Central Dalit Department. Ramesh Lekhak State Minister of Labor and Transport Management -------------- --- Ramesh Lekhak was reappointed State Minister of Labor and Transport Management in the interim government. He was appointed as a member of the government's Peace Talks team on May 25, 2006. Lekhak was elected as a Member of Parliament from Kanchanpur District on Nepali Congress ticket in the general election of 1999. He is now with the NC (Democratic) Party headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba. He started his political career in 1991. He was born on December 11, 1963 in Baitadi District, and holds a Master's degree and a Bachelor's degree in Law from Tribhuvan University. He is married, and has one son and two daughters. His English is good. Gyanendra Bahadur Karki State Minister of Water Resources -------------- Gyanendra Bahadur Karki was reappointed State Minister of Water Resources in the interim government. He was elected as a Central Committee Member of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) in January 2006. Karki was the Member of the Coordination Committee of the seven-party alliance (SPA) during the People's Movement of April 2006. Ram Chandra Yadav State Minister of General Administration -------------- Ram Chandra Yadav was appointed State Minister of General Administration in the interim government. He joined the CPN (UML) Party in 1992. He was elected to the House of Representatives as a UML candidate from Siraha District in ¶1999. He was previously with the Communist Party of Nepal (Manandhar). He was born October 22, 1961 in Siraha District. He is married and has three sons and two daughters. He does not speak English. Indra Bahadur Gurung State Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs -------------- -------------- Indra Bahadur Gurung was appointed for the first time as State Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in the interim government. He is the Central Committee Member of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) Party. Mohan Singh Rathour State Minister of Education KATHMANDU 00000676 006 OF 006 -------------- Mohan Singh Rathour was appointed for the first time as State Minister of Education in the interim government. He is a CPN (UML) district leader of Kailali District, and is a Member of the Disciplinary Supervision Committee of the UML. MORIARTY