US embassy cable - 03KATHMANDU999

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000999 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS 
LONDON FOR POL - GURNEY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, NP, Political Parties 
SUBJECT: NEPALI KING ASKS PARTY LEADERS FOR CONSENSUS 
CANDIDATE TO HEAD NEW GOVERNMENT 
 
REF: A. KATHMANDU 0991 
     B. KATHMANDU 0961 
 
Classified By: CDA ROBERT K. BOGGS.  REASON:  1.5 (B,D). 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C) Breaking with past practice, Nepal's King Gyanendra 
convoked on May 30 leaders of the seven parties that had held 
seats in the last Parliament to offer them an opportunity to 
constitute a new, more broadly-based government (Ref A).  The 
King assured the leaders that a new Prime Minister would be 
vested with full executive authority.  According to a 
well-placed Palace source, the meeting failed to produce a 
consensus candidate to head a new government.  The King has 
given the parties 72 hours in which to provide him the name 
of a consensus candidate (or, failing that, names of several 
candidates from which he could choose) that they would accept 
as the new Prime Minister.  He ruled out the possibility of 
restoring the Parliament that was dissolved one year ago. 
The King's actions, as reported, appear to reflect a 
good-faith effort to form the all-party government with full 
executive powers that the Parliamentary parties have been 
demanding.  It remains to be seen whether the contentious 
parties can overcome their typical preoccuptation with 
personal and partisan self-interest to agree on a candidate. 
End summary. 
 
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CONSENSUS ELUDES PARTY HEADS 
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2.  (C) Early on the morning of May 31, Prabhakar Rana, King 
Gyanendra's confidant, called the Charge to offer a read-out 
"from the horse's mouth" on the King's May 30 meeting with 
party leaders (Ref A).  The meeting, which lasted 
two-and-a-half hours, was attended by leaders of the seven 
Parliamentary parties, including leaders of two factions that 
have splintered from their main party leadership since the 
dissolution of Parliament last May.  The King reportedly 
opened the meeting, called to help form a new all-party 
government, by requesting that the leaders focus on the 
"process" of chooosing a leader rather than on the particular 
"personality" that might be chosen.  He also emphasized that 
he would confer on the new government full executive powers. 
 
3.  (C) According to Rana's account, the party leaders, the 
King's plea not withstanding, immediately zeroed in on 
"personalities," with the leaders of the two largest parties 
objecting strenuously to the presence of the leaders of the 
splinter factions of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party and the 
Nepali Congress (Democratic).  Nepali Congress President G.P. 
Koirala and Communist Party of Nepal - United Marxist Leninst 
(UML) General Secretary Madhav Nepal claimed that since their 
parties, along with the People's Front Nepal and the Peasants 
and Workers Party, represent three-fourths of the seats in 
Parliament, formation of the new government should be left to 
them.  The King responded that since the parties had been 
pressing for an all-party government, all of the parties 
represented in the last Parliament should be involved. 
 
4.  (C) Nepali Congress leader Koirala proposed that the King 
reinstate Parliament, with the head of the UML (which would 
now hold the majority in Parliament) as the new Prime 
Minister.  The proposal reportedly brought a clamor of 
counter-demands for consideration of their own candidacy from 
other leaders present.  Nepali Congress (Democratic) leader 
Sher Bahadur Deuba said that as PM during the last 
Parliament, he should be reappointed Prime Minister if 
Parliament were to be reinstated.  National Democratic Party 
President Pashupati SJB Rana argued that since his party 
alone has observed the Constitution and not agitated against 
the King, he should be appointed Prime Minister.  Nepal 
Sadbhavana leader and current Deputy Prime Minister Badri 
Prasad Mandal contended that all of the other Parliamentary 
parties had violated the Constitution by calling for the 
postponement of elections.  He then put forward his own name 
as the most suitable candidate.  (Note:  Mandal is on 
somewhat shaky ground here.  The Nepal Sadbhavana did not 
oppose the postponement of elections in October.  Since then, 
however, the party has splintered, and Mandal is apparently 
trying to represent his splinter as not agreeing to the 
postponement.   End note.) 
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72-HOUR DEADLINE FOR CONSENSUS 
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5.  (C) According to Rana, the King categorically ruled out 
any possibility of reconvening Parliament as 
"unconstituional."  (Note:  The Supreme Court has ruled that 
the dissolution was constitutional.  End note.)  He then gave 
the parties a 72-hour deadline in which to present him with 
the name of a consensus candidate for Prime Minister.  Should 
the seven parties be unable to settle on a single name, he 
gave them the alternative of proposing a slate of several 
names from which he might choose.  He cautioned them, 
however, not to ask him to take any "unconstitutional" steps 
(which we interpret as a warning that he will not accept 
requests to reconvene Parliament). 
 
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COMMENT 
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6.  (C) The King's actions, as reported, appear to reflect a 
good-faith effort to form the all-party government with full 
executive authority that the parties have been demanding and 
that we (and other embassies) have been pressing.  His move 
has clearly shifted the burden for positive movement toward 
more representative government squarely onto the parties. 
Given the parties' abysmal track record for collaboration and 
cooperation--and the debilitating animosity between several 
of the more prominent personalities--it remains to be seen 
whether they can achieve the consensus necessary within the 
time given.  We will continue to engage with party members to 
urge them to take advantage of the King's initiative. 
 
 
BOGGS