Nepal was very close to a violent revolution: Moriarty

April 27, 2006
6 MIN READ
A
A+
A-

The US ambassador to Nepal, James F. Moriarty, has said Nepal was very close to bloodbath as the people’s movement headed towards climax last week.

Talking to a select group of journalists at the US embassy in Kathmandu Thursday morning, the US envoy said the Maoists’ initial reaction (to the reinstatement of the House of Representatives) aimed at sabotaging the deal. But when they saw that majority of the Nepalis were happy with the new deal, they were compelled to adjust to the new situation, he added.

When asked about his reaction to the three-month-long unilateral ceasefire announced by the Maoists around mid-night on Wednesday, Moriarty said “The biggest question right now is the Maoist intention. The (new government) should try and hold the Maoists to ceasefire,” he said. “They (the Maoists) should not be included in the interim government unless they lay down their weapons.”

The US envoy said the Maoists had suffered a great setback in the recent peaceful movement across the country. “The biggest losers are the Maoists. On Saturday (Apr. 22), they were close to reaching success. They were close to getting rid of the monarchy entirely by a violent revolution. May be you would have a lot of blood flowing in the streets,” said Moriarty, referring to the popular anger a day after the first royal proclamation in which King Gyanendra asked SPA to recommend its candidate for the post of prime minister.

In a written statement issued Thursday, the US government said it looked forward to working with a new government of Nepal. “We will strive to support Nepal as it launches a functioning and effective multiparty democracy,” the statement added.

“The people of Nepal demonstrated their widespread support for democracy in recent weeks. We salute their determination and success in creating the conditions leading to the reinstatement of Parliament,” the US embassy said in the statement.

“The Parliament faces numerous challenges in coming weeks and months. Among other options, it may initiate a Constituent Assembly. This could prove an excellent avenue for the Maoists to join the political mainstream and peacefully help address Nepal’s problems,” said the statement adding, “But to participate in any elections, the insurgents first must lay down their arms and renounce violence. The people of Nepal deserve nothing less.”

Responding to a query, US ambassador Moriarty said the reinstatement of the dissolved parliament by the king met his definition of reconciliation which has democratic forces in charge. “That’s a great outcome,” he said.

When asked about the fate of monarchy, Moriarty said it was for the people of Nepal to decide. “We see that there is potentially a useful role for the institution of monarchy as a unifying factor,” he added.

When asked what may have led King Gyanendra to fulfill the key demands put forward by the Seen Party Alliance (SPA),Moriarty said the king realized that he had two choices: either to capitulate to people’s demand or abdicate. He said his interview with the CNN (in which he pointedly remarked that the king might have to flee if he did not accept popular demands) may have helped things move forward.

Responding to a query on the possibility of resumption of military assistance to Nepal, the US envoy said, “We haven’t had any formal request from the Nepali government as yet.”

Moriarty further said the Bush administration’s policy of promoting democracy worldwide had been brilliantly successful in case of Nepal. “Now, we are much closer to a democratic Nepal,” he added.

When asked why the US and international community promptly welcomed the royal proclamation inviting the Seven Party Alliance to form a new government, Moriarty said on Saturday Nepal was very close to a violent revolution. “That made us very nervous. There had to be conditions for transfer of power. They ended up virtually doing the same thing by the second proclamation,” he added.

Commenting on the 12-point understanding between the SPA and the CPN (Maoist), Moriarty said (that) was a very good outcome. “If they get there, that will be terrific. Maoists will have to be convinced to lay down their weapons.” He, however, said he was not completely convinced towards their movement for peace.

Moriarty said the US government would keep monitoring the situation of Nepal before resuming its consular services. It will take a few more weeks. We will have to see a lot more progress before we are able to resume Peace Corps volunteer service, he added. “We do have special issue that they (the Maoists) have killed (Nepali employees) at the American embassy. They have never addressed that issue,” Moriarty said.

The US envoy said he believed that the Royal Nepalese Army was eager to turn over power to a civilian government. “By this weekend, the army had understood that the monarch was in turmoil and it was time to compromise,” said the American envoy. “The king’s role as the supreme commander-in-chief of the RNA has to be clarified too There will have to be clear cut limitations,” he added.

“People of Nepal have voted for peace and democracy. I hope, may be they (the Maoists) listen to the voices of the people,” he added.

The US ambassador said US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher, will be arriving Kathmandu on May 2. “He will be here to look at the new government, analyse the situation and make recommendations back to the Washington,” he added.

Moriarty said Boucher would seek to call upon His Majesty the King. “He wants to see the king to encourage him to accept his ceremonial role,” he added.

Responding to a query by Nepalnews if the US and international community would come forward with additional assistance to Nepal as reportedly being done by India, the US envoy said, “We are looking in the same direction. Despite being a democracy, India has been a lot quicker. We are pushing Washington to get money flow as quickly as possible. I do hope that we are able to announce additional assistance,” he added.

“This is a huge first step that Nepal has taken. There are many more difficult steps to take,” he added. nepalnews.com by Apr 27 06