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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001333 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/12/2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KDEM MARR EAD UN NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: PEACE MINISTER SAYS EUROPEANS PAMPERING 
MAOISTS 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty.  Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1. (C) On July 10, Minister of Peace and Reconstruction Ram 
Chandra Poudel told the Ambassador that the Maoists were 
delaying resumption of the combatant verification and had not 
changed their behavior. The Minister complained that the 
Europeans, by "pampering" the Maoists, were increasing Maoist 
stature while ignoring Maoist failure to comply with peace 
agreement commitments.  Poudel emphasized, and the Ambassador 
agreed, that if the other political parties were clear in 
their stance toward the Maoists and united, the Maoists could 
be forced to improve their behavior.  If Prime Minister 
Koirala died before the Constituent Assembly election, the 
Peace Minister foresaw a political stalemate that would leave 
him as acting Prime Minister.  Poudel ventured that with the 
support of the Government of India, the problems in the Terai 
could be solved. 
 
Europeans Pampering Maoists 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) At a farewell call on July 10, Minister of Peace and 
Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel told the Ambassador that 
the Maoists were delaying verification by the UN Mission in 
Nepal of Maoist combatants, had not changed their habits of 
violence and intimidation and were still holding confiscated 
land and property.  Poudel complained that the Europeans were 
"pampering" the Maoists and asked the Ambassador to talk with 
his European counterparts.  The Peace and Reconstruction 
Minister and the Ambassador agreed that increasing the 
stature of the Maoists without first requiring a change in 
their behavior was harmful.  The Ambassador conceded that 
several of the European bilateral relationships with the 
Maoists were confusing, but noted that the European Union was 
trying to be helpful.  The EU was bringing in a large number 
of observers for the November Constituent Assembly election, 
for example.  The Ambassador advised Poudel to continue 
holding a tough line with the Maoists. 
 
Political Parties Need a Clear Stand on the Maoists 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶3. (C) Poudel and the Ambassador concurred that it was 
critical for all of the mainstream parties to press the 
Maoists to meet all of their peace process commitments.  The 
Ambassador stated that, if the other parties could stay 
united, the Maoists would have no choice but to go along. 
Poudel agreed, but emphasized that the other parties in the 
Interim Government had no clear policy toward the Maoists; he 
noted specifically the Communist Party of Nepal-United 
Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), which recently considered an 
alliance with the Maoists at its Central Committee meeting. 
The Peace Minister stressed that if the other parties were 
clear, the Maoists would be sidelined. 
 
Poudel Foresees Political Stalemate 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Poudel confirmed that, if the Prime Minister died or 
became incapacitated before the Constituent Assembly election 
was held, Poudel would become acting Prime Minister until the 
other political parties reached a consensus on a successor. 
The Peace Minister explained that he did not believe the 
Maoists or the CPN-UML would be able to reach an agreement on 
a leftist candidate.  The result would be a political 
stalemate that would keep him acting as Prime Minister and 
the Nepali Congress Party leading the country until the 
election was held. 
 
Madhesis' Demands Met; India To Tighten Border 
 
KATHMANDU 00001333  002 OF 002 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶5. (C) The Ambassador told the Minister that he was 
optimistic in light of the Interim Parliament's passage of 
the necessary election legislation and the absence of 
widespread negative reaction to the key Constituent Assembly 
Members Election Act.  Poudel responded that the Interim 
Parliament had met the Madhesis' demand for proportional 
representation and had properly postponed to the Constituent 
Assembly consideration of the question of "self 
determination."  Regarding violence in the Terai, the Peace 
Minister informed the Ambassador that, in recent meetings 
with the Government of India (GOI), GOI leaders had committed 
to tightening the border.  The Minister stressed that the 
dialogue during these meetings and the attitude of the Indian 
leadership had given him hope that the problems in the Terai 
could be solved. 
 
Communicating the Ministry's Mandate 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶6. (C) The Ambassador inquired about the Ministry's public 
relations strategy and asked whether the Ministry was 
implementing or had plans to implement the media and 
communication strategy that it had developed in cooperation 
with a USAID consultant.  (Note: USAID, through its Office of 
Transition Initiatives (OTI), supported a media consultant in 
March and April to assist the then Peace Secretariat to 
develop a media and communication strategy to more 
effectively inform the public about the peace process and the 
mandate of the Ministry.)  The Minister responded that the 
Ministry had three important mandates:  internally displaced 
persons, reconstruction of critical infrastructure destroyed 
during the conflict, and the promotion of the peace process. 
Poudel did not refer directly to the media strategy, but 
stated that the Ministry was playing an important role in 
mediating between competing interest groups. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7. (C) In closing, the Ambassador congratulated Minister 
Poudel on his active leadership of the new Peace and 
Reconstruction Ministry since its formation April 1.  He 
praised Poudel for a commendable job mediating between the 
various minority groups and the political parties.  Poudel's 
frustration with the Maoists and the response of much of the 
international community is understandable, as is his 
frustration with the ambiguity of the political parties 
toward the Maoists.  The support of the GOI in tightening the 
border will reduce violence in the Terai, but it will not 
solve the problems.  Security in the Terai will ultimately 
depend more on the political parties' ability, and 
particularly the Nepali Congress party as head of the Interim 
Government, to assuage the minority groups' concerns about 
inclusiveness and the election process while sidelining the 
extremists. 
MORIARTY