US embassy cable - 03KATHMANDU1085

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 001085 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS AND INR/B 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, NP, Political Parties 
SUBJECT: NEPAL: PM THAPA APPOINTS SIX MINISTERS FROM HIS 
PARTY 
 
REF: 
 
THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PLEASE TREAT 
ACCORDINGLY. 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  ON JUNE 11, AFTER CONSULTATIONS WITH 
THE MAIN POLITICAL PARTY LEADERS, PRIME MINISTER THAPA 
APPOINTED SIX MINISTERS FROM HIS OWN CENTER-RIGHT PARTY, 
THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (RPP).  WITH ONE EXCEPTION, 
ALL THE NEW APPOINTEES HAVE PREVIOUS MINISTERIAL 
EXPERIENCE WITH HALF OF THOSE SERVING DURING THE PARTY- 
LESS PANCHAYAT ERA.  BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION FOLLOWS. 
THE APPOINTMENTS REFLECT SOME ETHNIC AND GENDER DIVERSITY. 
MANY PORTFOLIOS REMAIN IN THE CABINET FOR OTHER POLITICAL 
PARTIES, BUT MANY ARE LIKELY TO COMPLAIN THAT THAPA HAS 
APPOINTED A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF MINISTERS FROM HIS 
OWN PARTY.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) AFTER A WEEK OF EARNEST CONSULTATIONS WITH THE 
MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES, PRIME MINISTER SURYA BAHADUR THAPA 
ON JUNE 11, APPOINTED FIVE MEN AND ONE WOMAN FROM HIS OWN 
CENTER-RIGHT PARTY, THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (RPP), 
TO SIX MINISTERIAL POSITIONS.  BIOGRAPHICAL DATA FOLLOWS. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
DR. PRAKASH CHANDRA LOHANI: MINISTER OF 
FINANCE 
--------------------------------------- 
 
3. (SBU) DR. PRAKASH CHANDRA LOHANI (B. 1944), A U.S.- 
TRAINED ECONOMIST AND FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR WITH DEGREES FROM 
INDIANA UNIVERSITY (MBA) AND UCLA (PH.D.), IS A SENIOR 
LEADER OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (RPP).  LOHANI HAS 
HELD A VARIETY OF GOVERNMENT POSITIONS, INCLUDING FOREIGN 
MINISTER UNDER SHER BAHADUR DEUBA (1996-1997) AND UNDER 
LOKENDRA BAHADUR CHAND (EARLY 1997) AND MINISTER OF 
AGRICULTURE UNDER SURYA BAHADUR THAPA (1998).  HE HAS BEEN 
ELECTED TWICE TO PARLIAMENT FROM THE NUWAKOT DISTRICT OF 
CENTRAL NEPAL.  OF THE BRAHMIN CASTE, LOHANI IS MARRIED 
WITH THREE DAUGHTERS.  WITH EXCELLENT ENGLISH SKILLS, 
LOHANI IS HIGHLY ARTICULATE AND A COMPETENT ADMINISTRATOR. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
KAMAL THAPA: MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS 
AND INFORMATION 
-------------------------------------- 
 
4. (SBU) KAMAL THAPA (B. 4 AUG 1955), IS A CAREER 
POLITICIAN WHO IS REPORTEDLY CLOSE TO THE PALACE AND HAS 
BEEN INVOLVED IN MOST OF THE MAJOR POLITICAL INITIATIVES 
BACKED BY THE PALACE IN RECENT YEARS.  THOUGH ONE OF THE 
MORE POWERFUL MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY 
(RPP) AS GENERAL SECRETARY, THAPA EARNED A REPUTATION AS 
AN OPPORTUNIST IN 1996 WHEN HE REPEATEDLY CHANGED SIDES 
DURING PARLIAMENTARY MANEUVERING TO BRING DOWN THE SHER 
BAHADUR DEUBA GOVERNMENT.  HIS ELEVATION TO THE RANK OF 
FOREIGN MINISTER IN JUNE 1997 PROBABLY REFLECTED MORE THEN- 
PRIME MINISTER CHAND'S INTEREST IN LOCKING THAPA INTO THE 
GOVERNMENT THAN ANY HIGH ESTEEM FOR HIS ABILITIES.  THAPA 
REMAINED IN THE POST UNTIL APRIL 1998, WHEN THE CHAND 
GOVERNMENT FELL. HE WAS APPOINTED AS THE GENERAL SECRETARY 
OF THE RPP IN MAY 2003.  THAPA WAS ALSO ACTIVE DURING THE 
PANCHAYAT YEARS, RISING TO MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, 
MINISTER OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND MINISTER OF HOUSING AND 
PHYSICAL PLANNING.  THAPA WAS A MEMBER OF NEPAL'S NATIONAL 
SOCCER TEAM AND, IN 1984, VISITED THE UNITED STATES TO 
ATTEND THE LOS ANGELES OLYMPICS.  OF THE CHETTRI CASTE, 
THAPA IS MARRIED WITH ONE SON AND THREE DAUGHTERS.  HE 
RECEIVED A MASTERS DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE FROM 
NEPAL'S TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY IN 1977 AND SPEAKS EXCELLENT 
ENGLISH AND HINDI. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
BUDDHI MAN TAMANG: MINISTER OF PHYSICAL 
PLANNING AND WORKS 
--------------------------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) BUDDHI MAN TAMANG (B. 12 FEB 1956) BEGAN HIS 
CAREER AT THE LOCAL LEVEL IN DHADING DISTRICT, WEST OF 
KATHMANDU, IN THE 1980S UNDER THE PANCHAYAT SYSTEM.  IN 
1994 AND 1999 TAMANG WAS ELECTED TO THE HOUSE OF 
REPRESENTATIVES.  TAMANG HAS HELD THE POSITION OF MINISTER 
OF LAND REFORMS AND MANAGEMENT SEVERAL TIMES, UNDER SHER 
BAHADUR DEUBA (1995 - 1997), UNDER LOKENDRA BAHADUR CHAND 
(1997), AND UNDER SURYA BAHADUR THAPA (1997 - 1998).  HE 
HAS ALSO HELD THE POSTS OF MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND 
TECHNOLOGY (1997) AND MINISTER OF COMMERCE (1997).  ONE OF 
THE LAST OF THE THIRTEEN-MEMBER COUNCIL OF MINISTERS WHO 
REMAINED WITH THAPA DURING THE NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION IN 
1983, TAMANG IS A STAUNCH THAPA SUPPORTER.  ALTHOUGH 
TAMANG HAS A B.A. IN ECONOMICS FROM TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY, 
HIS ENGLISH IS VERY POOR.  HE IS MARRIED WITH TWO SONS AND 
A DAUGHTER. 
----------------------------------------- 
HARI BAHADUR BASNET: MINISTER OF EDUCATION 
AND SPORTS 
----------------------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) HARI BAHADUR BASNET (B. 1945) BEGAN HIS CAREER IN 
THE 1970S AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL AS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM 
THE CENTRAL EAST DISTRICT OF UDAYAPUR.  BASNET HELD 
NUMEROUS CABINET POSITIONS UNDER THE PANCHAYAT REGIME, 
INCLUDING MINISTER OF FORESTS, FOOD, AGRICULTURE AND 
IRRIGATION (1972-1974), MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS (1977 
AND 1988-1989), MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS, TRANSPORT AND 
COMMUNICATIONS (1986-1988), AND MINISTER OF FOREIGN 
AFFAIRS AND WATER RESOURCES (1990) UNDER MARICH MAN SING 
SHRESTHA.  BASNET HAS NEVER BEEN AN ELECTED MEMBER OF THE 
PARLIAMENT.  OF THE CHETTRI CASTE, BASNET EARNED A MASTERS 
DEGREE IN ENGINEERING IN MOSCOW DURING THE 1960S.  HE IS 
MARRIED WITH TWO SONS. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
SARBENDRA NATH SHUKLA: MINISTER OF TOURISM 
AND CULTURE 
-------------------------------------- 
 
7. (SBU) A RELATIVE NEWCOMER TO THE KATHMANDU POLITICAL 
SCENE, SARBENDRA NATH SHUKLA (AGE IN MID-50S) BEGAN HIS 
POLITICAL CAREER IN 1994 WHEN HE WAS ELECTED TO THE 
PARLIAMENT FROM THE RUPANDEHI DISTRICT IN NEPAL'S CENTRAL 
TERAI AREA.  SINCE THEN, SHUKLA HAS HELD SEVERAL 
MINISTERIAL POSITIONS, INCLUDING ASSISTANT MINISTER, AND 
THEN STATE MINISTER, OF WATER RESOURCES (1995 - 1996) 
UNDER SHER BAHADUR DEUBA, MINISTER OF COMMERCE (1997) 
UNDER LOKENDRA BAHADUR CHAND, AND MINISTER AT THE PRIME 
MINSITER'S OFFICE (1997-1998) UNDER SURYA BAHADUR THAPA. 
OF THE BRAHMIN CLASS, SHUKLA IS MARRIED. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
RENU KUMARI YADAV: MINISTER OF STATE FOR 
WOMEN, CHILDREN AND SOCIAL WELFARE 
---------------------------------------- 
 
8. (SBU) RENU KUMARI YADAV (FEMALE, B. 20 JUN 1963), WHO 
WAS BORN IN INDIA AND ATTAINED NEPALI CITIZENSHIP THROUGH 
MARRIAGE, IS ALSO A NEWCOMER TO NATIONAL POLITICAL LIFE. 
IN 1991, YADAV JOINED THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (RPP) 
AND WAS ELECTED FROM THE EASTERN TERAI DISTRICT OF SAPTARI 
TO THE LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT IN 1999.  IN 2003, SHE 
WAS ELECTED TO THE RPP'S CENTRAL COMMITTEE.  WITH A 
BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN HISTORY FROM MITHILA UNIVERSITY OF 
BIHAR, INDIA, YADAV IS OF LOW CASTE.  SHE IS A WIDOW WITH 
ONE SON. 
 
--------- 
COMMENT 
--------- 
 
9. (SBU) PRIME MINISTER THAPA'S SIX MINISTERIAL 
APPOINTMENTS REVEAL SOME ETHNIC AND GENDER DIVERSITY WITH 
ONE WOMAN (THE 40-MEMBER CABINET THAT WAS DISSOLVED IN 
OCTOBER 2002 WAS TOTALLY MALE), A TAMANG (AN ETHNIC 
MINORITY) AND A YADAV (LOW CASTE).  THAPA REPORTEDLY HAS 
SAID THAT THE APPOINTMENTS REMAIN FLEXIBLE IN ORDER TO 
ACCOMMODATE OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES IF THEY AGREE TO JOIN 
THE GOVERNMENT.  HOWEVER, CONFLICTING RUMORS ABOUND IN 
KATHMANDU POLITICAL CIRCLES ABOUT WHETHER THE LARGEST TWO 
POLITICAL PARTIES WILL JOIN THAPA'S GOVERNMENT.  ALTHOUGH 
ROOM REMAINS FOR OTHER PARTIES TO JOIN THE CABINET, SOME 
WILL LIKELY COMPLAIN THAT THAPA APPOINTED A 
DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF MINISTERS FROM HIS OWN PARTY, 
WHICH HELD ONLY 11 OF 205 SEATS IN THE OLD PARLIAMENT. 
END COMMENT. 
 
MALINOWSKI