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 KATHMANDU 00000980 002 OF 003 -------------- ¶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