NEPAL: G.P. KOIRALA TOUTS HIGH LEVEL MECHANISM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000069 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM NP SUBJECT: NEPAL: G.P. KOIRALA TOUTS HIGH LEVEL MECHANISM Classified By: Charge d' Affaires, a.i., John M. Ordway. Reasons 1.4 (b /d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: G.P. Koirala, Nepali Congress party President, acknowledged his health was not good, but committed to wrapping up the peace process and the drafting of the constitution. He asserted the High Level Political Mechanism is "the only way" to accomplish these goals. According to Koirala, the integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist combatants should be the government's top priority. End summary. HIGH LEVEL POLITICAL MECHANISM IS THE ANSWER -------------- ¶2. (C) In a January 20 meeting, G.P. Koirala told SCA PDAS Patrick Moon that his health was not good, but he wanted to stay involved "until the peace stabilizes and the constitution is drafted." The recently-created High Level Political Mechanism (HLPM) was the only way to move the country forward. He said he "does not want any more bloodshed," and this mechanism was his solution to avoiding conflict. Koirala, who was accompanied by former Ambassador to the United States and Ambassador-designate to the United Kingdom Suresh Chandra Chalise, said that he, Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda," and UML leader Jhalanath Khanal had agreed to include Terai party leaders, other members of the Nepali Congress, and others in the HLPM. He was confident the HLPM would "increase the public's confidence in the political process." INDIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISIT -------------- ¶3. (C) Koirala reported he had a positive meeting with Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna, in which Koirala pointed out that Nepal's peace and stability affects both India and China. He asked the Foreign Minister to "give a gift to the Nepali people, and publicly support the HLPM," but the Indian Foreign Minister did not publicly support the HLPM. MAOISTS "FIGHTING LIKE STUDENTS" -------------- ¶4. (C) PDAS Moon said the United States supports a peaceful, stable and democratic Nepal, and urged the political leaders to come together to reach an agreement. Koirala said he was talking with all seven major parties but the Maoists were difficult. He accused the Maoists of "fighting like students," and said he was ashamed to have to talk with them. Koirala was especially concerned about the Maoist's Young Communist League (YCL). The party has lost control of the YCL, and the Maoists must understand that this weakens their party and Nepal's stability. ¶5. (C) Koirala said he told Prachanda and Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai recently that he wants a Constitution with an independent judiciary and multiparty democracy, which they both agreed to. "Dahal pushed for a presidential type of government, but I convinced him to agree to a parliamentary system." Koirala said the Maoist leaders agreed to Koirala's requests in private, then took contrary positions in public. Koirala thought that the Maoists were attacking the democratic institutions of Nepal, and he was not certain whether they would continue to do so in the future. He urged the United States to pressure the Maoists to "really support democracy." INTEGRATION AND REHABILITATION -------------- ¶6. (C) Koirala told Prime Minister Nepal that the country's first priority should be closing the Maoist cantonments. "After they are resolved there will be no difficulties with the Constitution." PDAS Moon acknowledged that integration of Maoist combatants is a difficult problem. Koirala countered that the process will not be an "integration" and that Maoists combatants will only be allowed into the Nepal Army on an "individual basis." He claimed there were only 3,000 - 5,000 Maoist combatants during the conflict, at most KATHMANDU 00000069 002 OF 002 10,000. He asked rhetorically how it was possible, therefore, that the Maoists have 19,602 verified combatants in the cantonments. (Note: Nepali leaders charge that the Maoist combatant numbers were inflated during the UN-monitored verification process in 2007. Prachanda gave further credence to this claim in a 2008 speech -- leaked to the press in 2009 -- in which he claimed he had fooled the UN monitors into accepting 19,000 when there were only ever between 8,000 - 10,000 combatants. End note.) ¶7. (C) PDAS Moon raised the issue of human rights abuses during the conflict by both sides, and said the United States supports a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a Disappearances Commission as a way to move past the issue. For the United States to fully support the Nepal Army, there has to be some accounting of the abuses. Koirala acknowledged the point. COMMENT -------------- ¶8. (C) The 84-year-old Koirala met PDAS Moon in a room just outside his bedroom in his residence. He is visibly not well, and acknowledged he is getting sicker, although his mind still seemed sharp and clear. His control over his party and the political circus is still surprisingly effective however, and he clearly would like to use the HLPM to conclude the peace process he began four years ago, and thus secure his legacy as one of Nepal's great leaders. ORDWAY