US embassy cable - 05KATHMANDU2213

C O N F I D E N T I A L KATHMANDU 002213 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SA/INS 
NSC FOR GREEN 
LONDON FOR BELL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, PREL, NP, Political Parties 
SUBJECT:  VICE-CHAIRMAN GIRI SAYS KING HAS "NO OBJECTIONS" 
TO TALKS 
 
REF: KATHMANDU 2014 
 
Classified By: Ambassador James F. Moriarty, Reasons 1.4 (b/d) 
 
Parties Still Ready to Talk With the King 
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1. (C)  The Ambassador met with Vice-Chairman Dr. Tulsi Giri 
on October 7 regarding Giri's earlier request that the 
Ambassador discuss with political party leaders a possible 
interlocutor to facilitate reconciliation with the Palace 
(reftel).  The Ambassador explained that the Party leaders 
all said that they would respond positively if the King tried 
to reach out.  The Ambassador added that the Party leaders 
had cautioned that they might have to use rhetoric claiming 
victory to assuage Party members, but the King should not 
take that as an indication that they were not interested in 
dialogue.  The political parties were very nervous about the 
Maoists and had decided that working with the King would be 
the better path, if possible.  The Party leaders, however, 
had a less coherent response to the question of using an 
intermediary.  They feared that there was no trustworthy 
Nepali who could mediate between them and the King; however, 
if the King made some gestures to build confidence, and 
someone from the Palace presented a reasonable agenda, talks 
could occur.  The Ambassador also relayed a suggestion that 
the King could have a pre-meeting with NC President GP 
Koirala and CPN-UML General Secretary MK Nepal as a 
confidence building measure, before holding substantive 
meetings. 
 
"King Has No Objection to Meeting" 
---------------------------------- 
 
2. (C) Dr. Giri stressed that the King "had no objection to 
meeting whomever the parties chose for a discussion."  The 
Vice-Chairman opined that a meeting could be worked out and 
suggested that he would "chat with the King."  He agreed that 
the Palace and the Parties could try to build confidence by 
first having a general meeting to discuss the way forward. 
He understood that this should be done as quickly as 
possible.  Giri said he might go to Pokhara on October 8 or 9 
to meet with the King, who would return to Kathmandu on 
October 10. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
3. (C) We hope that our repeated messages to HMGN 
interlocutors on the need for reconciliation between the 
Palace and the Parties will have a cumulative effect. 
Indeed, FM Pandey told us on October 6 that the King would 
use his October 13 Dasain message to the people to make some 
positive moves. 
MORIARTY