Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KATHMANDU29
2008-01-08 08:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:
NEPAL: FIFTH MAOIST MINISTER CREATES WAVES BEFORE
how-toVZCZCXRO6640 OO RUEHCI DE RUEHKT #0029 0080827 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 080827Z JAN 08 FM AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7725 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 6224 RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 6550 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 1811 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 4574 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 5813 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 2104 RUEHCI/AMCONSUL KOLKATA PRIORITY 3944 RHMFISS/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1960 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 3061
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000029
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV PTER PINR NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: FIFTH MAOIST MINISTER CREATES WAVES BEFORE
TAKING OATH OF OFFICE
REF: KATHMANDU 2139
Classified By: Ambassador Nancy J. Powell. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
Yadav Delays Swearing-in Ceremony To Protest Language
--------------------------------------------- --------
C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 000029
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV PTER PINR NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: FIFTH MAOIST MINISTER CREATES WAVES BEFORE
TAKING OATH OF OFFICE
REF: KATHMANDU 2139
Classified By: Ambassador Nancy J. Powell. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
Yadav Delays Swearing-in Ceremony To Protest Language
-------------- --------------
1. (U) Matrika Yadav, the newly reappointed Minister for
Forests and Soil Conservation, was sworn in on January 2
after first refusing to take the oath of office in Nepali.
Yadav -- who was out of KATHMANDU when the other Maoist
ministers were sworn in on December 31 (reftel) -- demanded
the oath be in his mother tongue of Maithili, a language
widely spoken in the eastern Terai and the Indian state of
Bihar. Yadav accused Prime Minister G.P. Koirala of
insensitivity toward Madhesis and stormed out of the hall.
He ignored pleas from Hisila Yami and Pampha Bhusal, two
Maoist ministers sworn in on December 31, to return to the
ceremony. Yadav also reportedly declined to take phone calls
from Maoist chairman Pushpa Dahal (Prachanda) and deputy
Baburam Bhattarai. Yadav returned an hour later and
proceeded to take the oath, which the Prime Minister
delivered in Nepali and Yadav repeated in Maithili.
Comment
--------------
2. (C) While Matrika Yadav's linguistic stunt ostensibly was
to support the Madhesi cause, it is a reminder that working
with the Maoists is far from easy. We expect there will be
other cabinet tirades in the coming months. The Nepali
Congress and the Maoists have reached the conclusion they
must work together -- at least for now -- but it is not a
happy marriage.
POWELL
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV PTER PINR NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: FIFTH MAOIST MINISTER CREATES WAVES BEFORE
TAKING OATH OF OFFICE
REF: KATHMANDU 2139
Classified By: Ambassador Nancy J. Powell. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).
Yadav Delays Swearing-in Ceremony To Protest Language
-------------- --------------
1. (U) Matrika Yadav, the newly reappointed Minister for
Forests and Soil Conservation, was sworn in on January 2
after first refusing to take the oath of office in Nepali.
Yadav -- who was out of KATHMANDU when the other Maoist
ministers were sworn in on December 31 (reftel) -- demanded
the oath be in his mother tongue of Maithili, a language
widely spoken in the eastern Terai and the Indian state of
Bihar. Yadav accused Prime Minister G.P. Koirala of
insensitivity toward Madhesis and stormed out of the hall.
He ignored pleas from Hisila Yami and Pampha Bhusal, two
Maoist ministers sworn in on December 31, to return to the
ceremony. Yadav also reportedly declined to take phone calls
from Maoist chairman Pushpa Dahal (Prachanda) and deputy
Baburam Bhattarai. Yadav returned an hour later and
proceeded to take the oath, which the Prime Minister
delivered in Nepali and Yadav repeated in Maithili.
Comment
--------------
2. (C) While Matrika Yadav's linguistic stunt ostensibly was
to support the Madhesi cause, it is a reminder that working
with the Maoists is far from easy. We expect there will be
other cabinet tirades in the coming months. The Nepali
Congress and the Maoists have reached the conclusion they
must work together -- at least for now -- but it is not a
happy marriage.
POWELL