US embassy cable - 02KATHMANDU1315

UNCLAS KATHMANDU 001315 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE PASS USAID/DCHA/OFDA 
LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, ASEC, PINR, NP, Political Parties, Maoist Insurgency 
SUBJECT: Bomb Explodes at PM's Party Headquarters 
 
REF: A) Kathmandu 1309, B) Kathmandu 1198 
 
1. (U) A bomb exploded July 5 at the newly-opened 
Kathmandu office of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's 
faction of the Nepali Congress Party (NCP) around 10:45 
a.m. local time.  Police sources confirmed ten people 
injured and hospitalized.  One remains in critical 
condition.  Security forces immediately cordoned off the 
area, a business district in southeastern Kathmandu. 
Police suspect that the explosion, in a ground-floor 
reception area, was caused by a timed device.  So far no 
one has claimed responsibility and no arrests have been 
made. 
 
2. (SBU) Minister for Physical Planning and Works 
Chiranjibi Wagle--the second-ranking figure in Nepal's 
government--reportedly was in the building when the blast 
went off but escaped injury.  Prime Minister Deuba was not 
present.  Reached by telephone after the incident, the PM 
told Ambassador that any help the USG could offer in 
carrying out the investigation of the blast would be 
welcome.  [Note:  For two months previous to the July 5 
bombing, Kathmandu had seen only one act of political 
violence, the June 17 attempted firebombing of the home of 
a high-ranking army officer (Ref B).  End Note.] 
 
3. (SBU) Comment:  Although no party has yet claimed 
responsibility for the attack, it likely was the work of 
Maoist insurgents rather than Deuba's political rivals. 
So far the two NCP factions look content to litigate their 
differences.  Embassy is alert to the possibility that 
this bombing could signal the resumption of Maoist attacks 
in the capital, but likely was designed to underline 
Maoist opposition to promised national parliamentary 
elections.  Nepali Maoist leader Pachandra recently issued 
a broadside threatening to prevent the election (Ref A). 
 
MALINOWSKI