Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09KATHMANDU320
2009-04-20 09:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:  

NEPAL: MAOIST-LED GOVERNMENT THREATENING TO REMOVE

Tags:  PGOV MARR PREL PTER NP 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000320 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2019
TAGS: PGOV MARR PREL PTER NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: MAOIST-LED GOVERNMENT THREATENING TO REMOVE
ARMY CHIEF

Classified By: Ambassador Nancy J. Powell. Reasons 1.4 (b/d)

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000320

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2019
TAGS: PGOV MARR PREL PTER NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: MAOIST-LED GOVERNMENT THREATENING TO REMOVE
ARMY CHIEF

Classified By: Ambassador Nancy J. Powell. Reasons 1.4 (b/d)

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


1. (C) Nepal's Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Dahal asked Chief
of Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal to step down on April 19.
The PM cited three issues: Nepal Army (NA) recruitment, the
brigadier generals' continued reporting to duty after their
forced retirement and the NA's withdrawal from the National
Games. Katawal refused to resign. The cabinet may remove
him April 20. Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood told the Prime
Minister at a meeting early on April 20 that India supported
civilian control of the Army but that dismissing Katawal at
this time ran the risk of getting Nepal off track and was not
the way to earn respect for civilian control.

PM Asks Army Chief to Step Down
--------------


2. (C) Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Dahal met April 19 with
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Rookmangud Katawal and asked him
to step down. The PM reportedly cited three reasons. First,
the Nepal Army (NA) had proceeded in late 2008 with
recruitment of additional soldiers in spite of clear
indications from Maoist Defense Minister Ram Thapa to cease
and desist. Second, the COAS permitted eight brigadier
generals to continue to report to duty after the Minister of
Defense chose not to extend their terms and facilitated their
filing of a lawsuit in the Supreme Court against their forced
retirement. Third, the COAS directed the Nepal Army to
withdraw from those events in the recent National Games in
Kathmandu in which the Maoist People's Liberation Army team
participated. Reportedly, the Chief was offered the
possibility of an ambassadorship or other suitable senior
position if he agreed to resign. He refused.

Cabinet Engagement
--------------


3. (C) The PM's Personal Secretary confirmed to Emboff April
20 that the cabinet met at 5 p.m. on April 19. The cabinet
approved a three-point questionnaire which asks the Chief for
a response to each of the issues the PM raised with the Chief
earlier in the day. (Note: Post is emailing a translation of

the questionnaire to the Nepal desk.) The cabinet gave the
Chief 24 hours to respond. At close of business on April 20,
the cabinet did not appear yet to have met to make a final
decision about whether or not to remove the Chief. Indian
Ambassador Rakesh Sood told the Ambassador the afternoon of
April 20 that the Communist Party of Nepal - United Marxist
Leninist, which is second-largest party in the governing
coalition, was starting to have cold feet about the Maoist
plan to remove Katawal. Sood said he had told Katawal to
"calm down," and cite legal arguments in answering the first
two questions. Both the issue of recruitment and the
retirement of the brigadiers are pending before the Supreme
Court.

Indian Ambassador Raises Concerns with PM
--------------


4. (C) Ambassador Sood informed the Ambassador that he had
discussed the issue of Katawal's removal in a meeting with
PM Dahal early on April 20. Sood said he had reiterated
India's support for civilian control of the NA, but that he
had alerted the PM that Katawal's removal at this time
threatened to lead the peace process and Nepal "in a
direction in which you do not want to be led." The PM
explained that the NA's withdrawal from the Games had been
the "last straw." Sood said that taking this step now was
not the way for the Maoist-led government to earn respect
from the Army for civilian control.

Possibility of a "Bangladesh Solution"
--------------


KATHMANDU 00000320 002 OF 002



5. (C) The Indian Ambassador added to the Ambassador that in
his recent discussions with former Prime Minister and leader
of the opposition G.P. Koirala, Koirala had spoken about a
"Bangladesh solution" (i.e., a military takeover) to the
continued standoffs between the Maoists and the Nepal Army.
But Sood assessed that at the end of the day, Koirala and his
Nepali Congress Party were likely to object vociferously to
the dismissal of Katawal but not attempt to use the removal
to spark any more widespread political movement against the
government.

U.S. Position
--------------


6. (C) If required to comment, post plans to use the points
developed in response to the Government of Nepal (GON)
decision not to extend the brigadiers: i.e., while
recognizing civilian control over the armed forces, we urge
GON leaders to exercise that responsibility wisely,
particularly considering the impact decisions like this one
can have on the peace process. Non-participation in National
Games does not rise to the level of threatening progress on
key issues.

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


7. (C) In the event that the cabinet decides to remove
Katawal as head of the Army, post's assessment is that the
Nepal Army's officer corps will not rise up to prevent his
removal. Our concern, however, is that his removal at this
time will poison the atmosphere among the parties in the
Constituent Assembly, impede progress on integration and
rehabilitation of Maoist combatants and make an already
difficult political environment even more complicated.
POWELL