US embassy cable - 05KATHMANDU2399

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 002399 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINS, PINR, NP, Maoist Insurgency, Political Parties 
SUBJECT:  NEPALI CONGRESS NOT FORMING ALLIANCE WITH MAOISTS 
 
REF: A. KATHMANDU 2384 (NOTAL) 
     B. KATHMANDU 2388 (NOTAL) 
     C. KATHMANDU 2390 
 
Classified By: Amb. James F. Moriarty, Reason 1.4 (b/d) 
 
Summary 
-------- 
 
1. (C) Nepali Congress (NC) President GP Koirala, reacting to 
the Embassy's recent statement warning against a 
Maoist-Parties alliance, insisted to the Ambassador on 
November 7 that his party would "not join hands with the 
Maoists while they still had guns."  Koirala, who expressed 
concern about his health and his desire to see Nepal on the 
road back to democracy while he was still alive, said that if 
the King retraced his steps and created an environment for 
dialogue with the political parties, the Parties and the 
Palace could solve Nepal's problems.  The NC leader also 
reiterated past calls for credible third party involvement in 
the peace talks, adding that he did not trust either the 
Maoists or the Palace, both of whom had guns.  Koirala 
indicated that, when he sees them during his upcoming trip to 
New Delhi November 11-16, he would tell the Maoists that they 
had no future until they came under a democratic framework. 
End Summary. 
 
No Alliance While Maoists Have Arms 
----------------------------------- 
 
2. (C) NC President GP Koirala, referring to his health and 
desire to see things settled in Nepal, insisted that his 
party would never "join hands" with the Maoists while they 
still held weapons.  He noted that he had dissuaded some 
members of his party who had wanted to criticize the 
Embassy's November 4 statement (ref C).  He acknowledged that 
he could not speak for the other parties.  He added, however, 
that he had told the other members of the Seven-Party 
Alliance that the Alliance should not deviate from its 
agreed-upon agenda.  If a party did so, it would have to go 
its own way.  The NC leader said he currently had no contacts 
with the Maoists, but thought he would meet with Maoist 
leaders in New Delhi during his upcoming trip for a medical 
check-up. 
 
Frank Message to Maoists: Enter Political Mainstream 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
3. (C) Koirala said that if he met with Maoist leaders, he 
would "tell them very frankly that they had no future unless 
they gave up violence and rejoined the mainstream of 
politics."  He emphasized that he wanted "the Maoists to be 
brought into the mainstream within a democratic framework," 
and added that he would ask them whether they planned to 
continue the cease-fire. 
 
And NC Will Consult With Indian Officials 
----------------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Koirala said he also planned to meet with Government 
of India officials and other senior leaders when he was in 
New Delhi to discuss the current situation in Nepal.  He said 
he would talk with them about the importance of having a 
third party involved in peace talks given that both the 
Maoists and the Palace had guns and the political parties did 
not.  Acknowledging that India was not positive about UN 
involvement, he said he would ask whether India would object 
to the Carter Center as a credible third party. 
 
NC Activities: Entering and Organizing in Villages 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
5. (C) The NC leader said that his party cadre were going out 
to the villages and districts to organize and conduct a 
public awareness campaign.  After completing visits to the 
villages, the Party would meet again to review its policy. 
The NC had also sent out "evaluation teams" to almost all 
districts to determine the current state of affairs, 
especially regarding extortion, kidnappings, the return of 
Maoist-seized property, and the ability of Party cadre to 
conduct activities.  Koirala remarked that the Nepali 
Congress Central Committee members were accompanying lower 
level workers into the districts to dissuade the Maoists from 
attacking the party cadre.  Koirala noted that the NC workers 
also feared retribution from the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA). 
He explained that if NC workers assembled in villages with 
Maoists, the RNA might mistakenly assume the NC party members 
were Maoists and take action on that basis.  Koirala remarked 
that, although the Maoists continuously invited NC to 
participate in joint programs, thus far NC had organized 
separate meetings.  The Maoists came and listened to the 
meetings, but until now had not disturbed NC's activities. 
Koirala, however, was unwilling to give an assessment of how 
his Party's relations with the Maoists were going until the 
evaluation teams returned. 
 
Still Ready to Talk With the King 
--------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) GP Koirala averred that the Parties would be ready to 
talk with the King if he "retraced his steps and created 
conducive conditions for dialogue."  He stressed that the 
Parties had agreed to dialogue, but added that the King had 
to take steps to create a positive atmosphere.  He explained 
that he did not want Nepal to "lose its identity as an 
independent Kingdom."  An agitated Koirala questioned why the 
King would leave the country for three weeks at this crucial 
time.  Exclaiming that Nepal was on the brink of becoming a 
failed state, he asserted the King should stay at home. 
(Note: King Gyanendra is scheduled to leave November 11 for 
Bangladesh to attend the SAARC Summit and will then travel 
from there to Tunisia, Kenya, Burundi, South Africa, Tanzania 
and Saudi Arabia before returning three weeks later on 
December 2, the eve of the purported end of the Maoist 
cease-fire.  End Note.)  Koirala commented that the King 
should not delay in initiating a dialogue and that "every 
minute is important in Nepal." 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
7. (C) Koirala was at his most reasonable and stayed on his 
message that he was looking for a solution to Nepal's 
problems.  That solution involved a dialogue with the King to 
reach agreement on the way ahead; not forming an alliance 
with the Maoists, but getting them to lay down their weapons 
and rejoin the political mainstream.  He seemed very 
concerned about his health.  He said he was losing weight, 
feeling weak and unwell, and that he would get massive 
headaches if he talked too long.  Koirala is over 80 years 
old and has reportedly suffered from ill health for several 
years. 
MORIARTY