NEPAL: MAOISTS DEMAND LEADERSHIP OF GOVERNMENT,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 000980

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: MAOISTS DEMAND LEADERSHIP OF GOVERNMENT,
CONTINUE OBSTRUCTING ASSEMBLY

REF: KATHMANDU 00972

Classified By: Charge d' Affaires, a.i., Jeffrey A. Moon. Reasons 1.4 (
b/d).


1. (SBU) Summary: The Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist plans
to intensify protests and "paralyze" government operations
starting in mid-November unless the ruling coalition agrees
to create a new Maoist-led consensus government. The Maoists
seek increased dialogue with the United States and want to
discuss steps that might lead to their removal from U.S.
terrorist exclusion lists. The Maoist leadership also wants
to strengthen its relationship with China and learn from
modern Chinese development models. End summary.


2. (C) The following report is based on Charge,s October 26
meeting with Krishna Mahara, a Maoist Politburo member and
member of the Constituent Assembly. Mahara leads the Maoist
party,s Foreign Affairs and Organizations Department, was
the party,s chief peace negotiator during the insurgency,
and is a former Minister for Information.

Maoists Up The Ante
--------------

3. (C) Mahara told Charge that recent negotiations almost
reached agreement on a parliamentary resolution resolving the
"civilian supremacy" controversy and ending the Maoists,
three-month blockade of Parliament. The Maoists feared,
however, that the ruling coalition would isolate the Maoists
after the CA reopened and passed a budget resolution and thus
added additional demands to prevent future marginalization.
(Note: The Parliament must pass a budget bill within the
next month to avoid a possible government closure. End
note.)


4. (C) Mahara confirmed press reports that his party decided
the previous day to conduct protests shutting down government
ministry offices throughout the country if the ruling
coalition did not agree to establish by mid-November a new
government under Maoist leadership. When Charge inquired
about the scope of the protests, Mahara indicated that the
Maoists would block access to government offices but not
prevent citizens from accessing all government services. He
specifically stated that Maoist protestors might encircle
government offices at Singha Durbar in downtown Kathmandu,
but would not prevent citizens from seeking essential
services at facilities such as schools and hospitals. Mahara
repeatedly emphasized the Maoists would not join the current
government under any circumstances.

U.S. Terrorist Lists
--------------

5. (C) Charge expressed a desire to expand dialogue with the
Maoists and asked whether the party was prepared to work
toward removing the Maoists from U.S. terrorist lists.
Mahara said the Maoist party wants to be removed from the
"U.S. terrorism list" and suggested Charge discuss the issue
directly with Maoist party leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The
party is concerned that the United States sees the Maoists
through the eyes of their political opponents and therefore
wants to increase direct engagement with the United States.
However, they understand that placement on the terrorism list
makes such a relationship difficult. Mahara said Nepalese
have "lost their trust" in the other parties, and if the
United States wants to understand the new Nepal it should
talk to Maoists. Mahara said the Maoists were committed to
peace and democracy but the other major parties were trying
to paint them as anti-democratic.


6. (C) Charge told Mahara the United States welcomes
increased engagement and would like to see the Maoists meet
the requirements for removal from the terrorist exclusion
list. He agreed with Mahara's suggestion that a discussion
of this issue with Chairman Dahal might be useful.

Discharge of Disqualified Minors

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

7. (C) Charge noted that P-5 Ambassadors and Charges visited
a Maoist cantonment the previous week and asked whether the
Maoists felt the visit was constructive. Charge stated that
the discharge process for disqualified Maoist combatants
needed to continue separate from and regardless of the
current government power struggle. He said the fact that
nearly 3,000 minors still lived in cantonments was viewed
negatively by the international community, which remains
ready to assist in the discharge process (reftel). Charge
expressed concern about recent Maoist demands that USD 13,500
be given to each disqualified Maoist combatant. (Note:
According to press reports, UNMIN and government officials
have firmly rejected this demand. End Note.)


8. (C) Mahara replied that the party viewed the P-5 visit
positively and Chairman Dahal would be interested in Charge's
impressions of the cantonment. The Maoists support the
discharge process, but had only recently come to that
position, and the demand for cash was not an official
position. The Maoists are concerned that disqualified
combatants, who have military and weapons training, will
become "disgruntled" and join criminal gangs. Charge shared
that concern, noting that it underscored the importance of
moving quickly on discharge issues. Allowing the
disqualified to remain in camps for years was more dangerous
than discharging them. Mahara added that the Maoists regard
as very unhelpful Defense Minister Bidhya Bhandari's recent
statement that the Comprehensive Peace Accord should be
renegotiated. (Note: The Prime Minister,s Foreign Affairs
Advisor, Rajan Battarai, told Charge on October 27 that the
Defense Minister,s views did not reflect government policy.
End Note.)

High-Level Visit to China
--------------

9. (C) Mahara confirmed he and Dahal met Chinese President
Hu Jintao during their October 11-19 trip to China, which
included stops in Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, and other
cities. The Maoists, who were hosted by the international
bureau of the Chinese Communist Party, were told that
although "they are the biggest party in Nepal and should
clearly lead, they must engage and consult with the other
parties." According to Mahara, China wants Nepal to draft a
new constitution and conclude the peace process promptly.
Mahara,s Chinese interlocutors said a consensus government
would be preferable to a new "people's movement", and the
peace process should not be disrupted at any cost. The
Chinese were also concerned that the Maoists not allow Nepal
to be used for anti-Chinese activities, specifically by
Tibetans.


10. (C) Mahara characterized the trip as a chance to see how
communism in China had changed in recent years and as an
opportunity to build better relations with China. Nepal,s
Maoists admire Mao Zedong,s leadership in the period during
the early years of the People,s Republic of China, but
believed that Mao made mistakes in later years, including
during the Cultural Revolution. The Nepali Maoists,
discussions in China focused on how the Chinese Communist
Party eventually embraced economic development and "moved
past the revolution stage." Nepal's Maoists were now past
the revolution stage, according to Mahara, and want to learn
how to make use of "peace and development opportunities."
According to Mahara, the Maoists, met with counterparts in
Beijing and various cities in their capacities as Chinese
Communist Party officials.


11. (C) Comment: The Maoist decision to suddenly raise new
demands just as an agreement on the "civilian supremacy"
issue appeared within reach is frustrating and disappointing.
Meanwhile, Mahara,s statement that the Maoists might be
prepared to take steps that might lead to their removal from
the U.S. terrorist list is encouraging. At Mahara,s
suggestion, Charge agreed to meet with Chairman Dahal on
October 28 and will take that opportunity to raise this

KATHMANDU 00000980 003 OF 003


question.
MOON