US embassy cable - 03KATHMANDU2295

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 002295 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SA/INS, LONDON FOR POL/GURNEY, NSC FOR MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2013 
TAGS: NP, PGOV, PREL, Political Parties 
SUBJECT: NEPAL: PRIME MINISTER PREPARES FOR REGIONAL TOUR 
AS OWN PARTY ATTEMPTS TO OUST HIM 
 
Classified By: DCM Robert K. Boggs for Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
 
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Summary 
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1. (C) On November 23, Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa 
will depart Nepal on 
a ten-day visit of the four regional capitals, starting with 
New Delhi and 
finishing with Islamabad.  The objective is to brief the 
other SAARC 
governments on achievements made during Nepal's one-year 
chairmanship and to 
prepare for the January summit in Islamabad.  On the eve of 
his tour, however, 
Prime Minister Thapa is facing major opposition from his own 
party leadership. 
On November 20, the Rastra Prajatantra Party's (RPP) central 
working committee 
demanded that the Prime Minister resign by mid-morning the 
following day -- 
which the Prime Minister has firmly refused to do.  The 
schism within the 
ruling party is further evidence that, despite Nepal's 
political crisis and the 
need for strong, unified leadership, partisan politics 
continues to divert 
attention from the challenges now confronting the country. 
End Summary. 
 
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Prime Minister's Regional Tour: 
 A Warm-Up for the SAARC Summit 
-------------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa is departing 
Nepal on November 23 
to visit regional capitals to prepare for the Summit of the 
South Asia 
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), scheduled for 
January in 
Islamabad.  Thapa will spend three days in New Delhi where he 
expects to meet 
with Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee and then travel to 
Colombo from November 
26-28, Thimpu from November 29-30 and Islamabad from December 
1-2. 
 
3. (SBU) According to Maduban Prasad Poudel, Under Secretary 
for South Asia at 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the objective of the trip is 
to brief the 
other SAARC governments on achievements made during Nepal's 
one-year 
chairmanship.  The Prime Minister will highlight progress 
made under the South 
Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) and discuss the draft 
Social Charter.  Poudel 
also claimed that the Prime Minister's official agenda does 
not include 
bilateral issues.  However, he speculated that the Prime 
Minister will likely 
discuss bilateral issues informally with some leaders, such 
as the Maoist 
insurgency with the Indians and the refugees with the 
Bhutanese. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Prime Minister's Party Demands His Resignation 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
4. (SBU) On the eve of the Prime Minister's regional tour, 
the central working 
committee of his own political party, the Rastra Prajatantra 
(National 
Democratic) Party (RPP) has demanded that Prime Minister 
Thapa resign his 
position by 1000 hours on November 21.  The Prime Minister 
refused the 
ultimatum.  He was appointed by the King under "special 
circumstances" and not 
by -- and is not accountable to -- the RPP leadership, Thapa 
reportedly said. 
 
5. (SBU) Spokesperson for the RPP, Roshan Karki, noted that 
Prime Minister 
Thapa was chosen by the King, in part because of his 
leadership in the party 
and, therefore, owes his appointment, at least in part, to 
the RPP. The RPP 
also criticized Thapa for not consulting the party in the 
appointment of local 
officials.  However, Karki said, the RPP would withdraw its 
demand for his 
resignation if Thapa is able to garner support from the two 
main political 
parties -- Nepali Congress and CPN-UML. 
 
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Comment 
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6. (C) The RPP leadership has been divided, with Surya 
Bahadur Thapa on one 
side and Party President Pashupati Sumshere Rana on the 
other.  The split 
appears to have widened over the past four months because 
Thapa did not appoint 
any of Rana's faction to his Cabinet, leaving many positions 
vacant in hopes of 
forming an all-party government.  The RPP leadership expects 
Thapa to fill the 
vacancies with RPP leaders since he has been unable to secure 
other political 
party participation.  In any case, the schism is evidence 
that despite the 
political crisis in Nepal and the need for strong and unified 
leadership, 
divisive partisan politics continue unabated.  We do not 
expect Thapa, who 
believes he has the confidence of the King, to comply.  End 
Comment. 
MALINOWSKI