The Beginning
The first civilizations in Nepal flourished around the 6th century B.C. They were confined to the Kathmandu valley, the present-day capital of the country. Prince Siddhartha Gautam was born in Lumbini, Nepal c. 563 B.C. The growth of Buddhist belief in Nepal gradually gave way to Hinduism, with the influx of migration from India, around the 12th century. The foremost dynasties that ruled the then Nepal, such as the Gopalas, the Kiratis, and the Licchavis expanded their rule. But it was only in the reign of the Malla kings from 1200-1769 A.D. that Nepal assumed the approximate dimensions of a modern state.
Nepal came close to its present day form in the latter half of the 18th century when Prithvi Narayan Shah, the ruler of a small principality called Gorkha in Western Nepal, expanded the borders of his kingdom. His heirs however, proved unable to maintain firm political control over the country. After more than a year of hostilities with the British East India Company, a commercial treaty was signed with Britain in 1792 and then again in 1816. But it wasn't until 1923 that Britain recognized Nepal's absolute independence.
Rana Regime Gives Way to Democracy
Nepal was ruled by the Ranas between 1846 and 1951. It was Junga Bahadur Kunwar, a nobleman from Western Nepal, who became the first Rana Prime Minister. On 15 September 1846 he conspired to have hundreds of courtiers, noblemen and soldiers to be killed in the infamous Kot massacre (The courtyard massacre), next to Durbar Square in Kathmandu. He then made himself the Prime Minister and took up the title "Rana". The position of the Prime Minister became hereditary in the Rana family, while the Shah Kings were reduced to mere figureheads.
The regime which lasted for 104 years came to an end in 1951, after a popular people's movement, backed by King Tribhuvan . The king was restored to throne, following a brief, self-imposed exile to India. Mohan Shamser became the Prime Minister in 1951, heading the new coalition cabinet for 10 months. He was succeeded by Nepali Congress Party leader Matrika Prasad Koirala.
It was Nepal's first acquaintance with "democracy". A period of semi-constitutional rule followed, during which the monarch, assisted by the leaders of political parties, governed the country. During the 1950s, efforts were made to frame a constitution for Nepal that would establish a representative form of government. Consequently, Nepal Interim Governance Bill was introduced, which was Nepal's second constitution, the first one being the Government of Nepal Act promulgated by Rana Prime Minister Padma Shamsher in 1948.
Partyless Panchayat System
King Mahendra came to the throne in 1955, after the demise of King Tribhuwan. He soon assumed direct rule, terming it "guided democracy". A new constitution was promulgated, superseding the Constitution of 1951. Nepal witnessed its first general election, in which Nepali Congress party swept up majority, making B.P. Koirala the first elected Prime Minister of the country.
In 1958, multi-party democracy and constitutional monarchy were established in Nepal. But it did not last long. King Mahendra took over, and held complete power for the following two years, ruling without a constitution. In 1960 Prime Minister BP Koirala, while he made a public speech was arrested for alleged incompetence. Political parties were banned.
In 1962, a new constitution was drafted, which was the third in Nepal, since the one in 1951. The constitution introduced the party-less Panchayat system, which vested all the authorities with the King. The constitution was amended in 1966 through a royal decree. For the first time, certain offices were brought under the constitution, while the Election Commission was declared an independent body. It was decided that appointments to the Commission could be determined according to the King's directive, which clearly vested the decisions of the Election Commission with the King.
The following years may be called the beginning of a period in Nepal's history that witnessed most frequent changes to the position of Prime Minister. In 1963, Panchayat elections were held and Tulsi Giri was named the Prime Minister. In 1965, he resigned, leading to the appointment of Surya Bahadur Thapa as Prime Minister. In 1965, Thapa yielded office to Kiriti Nidhi Bista. King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah died of a heart attack in 1972, and 26 year old Birendra, succeeded him to the throne.
The coronation ceremony took place in 1975. The Gaun Pharka Rastriya Abhiyan (Return to the village national campaign) was introduced in the same year. In 1976, BP Koirla returned from India but was arrested. In the wake of corruption charges, Tulsi Giri had to resign, giving continuity to the fast changes in the Prime Ministerial portfolio. Kirtinidhi Bista who was reinstated to the position had to step down following nationwide protests by students. Surya Bahadur Thapa assumed the position once more as referendum was announced. The referendum results of 1980 showed people's votes in favour of continuation of the party-less Panchayat system, instead of the reintroduction of political parties. Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa was defeated in the 1983 Rastriya Panchayat election. Lokendra Bahadur Chand became the Prime Minister. In 1986, the second election to Rastriya Panchayat was held, which brought Marich Man Singh to the position of Prime Minister.
Restoration of Multi Party Democracy
The political scenario in Nepal underwent a major change, right after the failure to negotiate trade and transit treaties with India, disrupted the economy in 1989. In 1990, a pro-democracy movement forced King Birendra to lift the ban on political parties. 30 years of party-less Panchayat system introduced by King Mahendra was dissolved with the success of the people's movement. An interim government comprising various parties and king's representatives was formed. The cabinet under the multi-party system was headed by Krishna Prasad Bhattarai as Prime Minister.
A new constitution was promulgated. On November 19, 1990, King Birendra declared the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 2047. According to it, certain constitutional bodies were restructured. The Election Commission was among them. It was decided that the Chief Election Commissioner would continue to be appointed by the King, upon recommendation of the Constitutional Council.
The first free election in three decades was held in May 1991. The multiparty legislative elections provided victory for the Nepali Congress Party, with the Communists becoming the leading opposition party in the parliament. Girija Prasad Koirala became the Prime Minister, while Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, the Prime Minister of the interim parliament lost to CPN-UML Madan Bhandari. In 1992, Local elections were held, in which Nepali Congress won the majority of seats. UML General Secretary Madan Bhandari was killed in a mysterious car crash in 1993. Communists demonstrated against the Koirala government, nationwide. After the government lost a parliamentary vote, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala called for mid-term elections, which were held in November 1994. It resulted in a hung parliament and the largest party of the time, the CPN-UML, formed a minority government. The CPN-UML Government however, had a short life of 9 months.
Nepal was to see rampant political changes in the decade that followed. Nepal saw 8 different governments in a span of five years between November1994- May 1999;
Communist Party of Nepal, Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML)' minority government (November 1994-September 1995),
NC led Center-Right coalition government with RPP and Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) (September 1995-March 1997),
RPP led Right-Left government with UML and NSP (March 1997-October 1997),
RPP led Right-Center government with NC and NSP (October 1997-April 1998),
NC' minority government (April-August 1998),
NC led Center-Left government with Communist Party of Nepal, Marxist-Leninist (ML), a new splinter party out of the UML, and NSP (August-December 1998),
NC' minority government (December 1998) and
NC led Centre-Left government with UML and NSP (December 1998- May 1999).
Growth of Maoist Rebellion
With the increasing political instability, the Maoist movement gained ground. In February 1996, one of the Maoist parties started a bid to replace the parliamentary monarchy with a so-called people's new democratic republic. They launched a movement, which they termed "People's war", led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai. The Maoist insurgency began with attacks of police posts in Rolpa, Rukum, Jajarkot, Gorkha and Sindhuli districts. The Maoists declared a parallel government of their own on the district level, in the areas where they had already formed a stronghold. Nepal Police was mobilized to contain the rebellion. The Maoists escalated their violent activities like extortion campaigns, killings and abductions.
After the minority government led by CPN-UML lost power in the parliamentary vote of no-confidence, a coalition government of Nepali Congress, RPP and Sadbhavna was formed. In 1997, the coalition lost power to a UML-RPP alliance, which in turn lost to a NC-RPP coalition after six months in power.
The third general election since the restoration of democracy was held in 1999, which brought the Nepali Congress back to power with an absolute majority. Krishna Prasad Bhattarai became the Prime Minister for the second time on May 31, 1999. After less than a year in office, Bhattarai resigned on March 20, 2000, and Girija Prasad Koirala became the Prime Minister. The controversy over deploying the Royal Nepal army to quell the insurgency grew.
Royal Family Massacre and Maoist Insurgency
On June 1, 2001, the Royal Family massacre took place. King Birendra was allegedly shot and killed by his son, Crown Prince Dipendra. None of the members of King Birendra's family survived the shootout. Angered by his family's disapproval of his choice of a bride, Crown Prince Dipendra also killed his mother and several other members of the royal family before shooting himself. Prince Gyanendra, the younger brother of King Birendra, was then crowned the new King of Nepal.
Amid growing political flux, Girija Prasad Koirala resigned on July 19, 2001 and the Nepali Congress MPs elected Sher Bahadur Deuba as this successor. Deuba revived attempts to initiate dialogue with Maoists. But the Maoist stand on a Constituent Assembly, which wasn't acceptable to the government, deferred a possible breakthrough. In November 2001, the first session of peace talks between the government and the Maoists broke down, giving way to escalation of violence.
In November 2001, government declared a state of emergency, as the Maoists attacked an army barrack in Dang, western Nepal: the Royal Nepal Army was deployed against them for the first time.
On May 22, 2002, King Gyanendra dissolved the House of Representatives, and declared mid-term elections upon recommendation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. In July of the same year, the local bodies were dissolved and replaced by officials. The mid-term election did not materialize however, and on October 4, 2002, King Gyanendra sacked Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, alleging him of 'incompetence' and calling the government corrupt and ineffective. The monarch grabbed executive powers and sovereignty and nominated Lokendra Bahadur Chand as the new Prime Minister.
A state of emergency was declared in November and the army was ordered to crack down on the Maoist guerrillas. The rebels intensified their campaign, and the government responded with equal intensity, killing hundreds of Maoists, the largest toll since the insurgency began in 1996.
On January 29, 2003, dialogue was held with the Maoists and ceasefire announced. On May 30, 2003, Lokendra Bahadur Chand resigned and the King nominated Surya Bahadur Thapa as Prime Minister. In Aug. 2003, the Maoist rebels withdrew from peace talks with the government and ended a bilateral cease-fire that had been signed in Jan. 2003. The following August, the rebels blockaded Kathmandu for a week, depriving it of supplies of food and fuel.
The Royal Coup
On February 1, 2005, King Gyanendra assumed complete sway in a bloodless coup. Several top politicians were put under house arrest and civil life was severely restricted. Telephone lines were cut off, media curbed and public gatherings forbidden. Without a parliament or a Prime Minister, King Gyanendra held full sway in appointing or displacing the members of his own formed cabinet. Those appointed the Vice Chairman of the cabinet at the time were the likes of Kiritinidhi Bista, Tulasi Giri and Kamal Thapa who had served as ministers in the Panchayat regime.
In Sept. 2005, the Maoist rebels declared a unilateral cease-fire, which ended in Jan. 2006. To overthrow the King's grip, the 7 political parties, Nepali Congress, Nepali Congress Democratic, CPN-UML, Janamorcha Nepal, Sadbhavna Party, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and Bammorcha Nepal, formed an alliance. Leaders of the 7 party alliance held a meeting with the Maosits, in New Delhi, India. Consequently, in November 2005, the two sides signed a 12-point agreement. The agreement was about ending the prevalent violence and to forge ahead against the monarch. The parties which were initially vocal against the Maoists, had joined hands with the Maoists, making it an 8 party alliance. Together, they declared People's movement second, which went on for 19 days.
People's Movement Second
In April 2006, massive pro-democracy protests were organized by seven opposition parties, supported by the Maoists, which went on for weeks. They rejected the offer King Gyanendra made through his first address to hand over executive power to a prime minister. They said he had failed to address their main demands: the restoration of parliament and the redrafting of the constitution. After 3 more days of street demonstrations and bloodshed, on April 24, 2006, King relinquished power to the people. As pressure mounted and the protests intensified, King Gyanendra agreed to reinstate parliament. The new parliament stripped the king of his powers and selected Girija Prasad Koirala as Prime Minister. In May, it voted unanimously to declare Nepal a secular nation and strip the king of his authority over the military.
According to the 16 point and 8 point understanding between the 7 parties and the Maoists, the interim constitution was drafted on August 25, 2006.
Maoists Enter Mainstream Politics
Maoists shunned violence in 2006 after waging a decade long insurgency that cost the country more than 13,000 lives. The government and the Maoists signed the landmark Comprehensive Peace Accord in November 2006, ending 10 years of conflict. Under the Peace Agreement, the Maoists agreed to put a permanent end to violence, return seized property and to end abductions and extortion. The agreement also called for integration of the Maoist army with the state security forces and making public the whereabouts of those forced to disappear by the state and the Maoists, among others. The Maoists agreed that those fighters who had joined the armed forces after May 25, 2006, or were under 18 years of age by that date would be discharged from the camps. The peace accord paved the way for the Maoists to join the interim parliament, and the government.
The Maoists and the political parties endorsed the interim constitution on 15 January, 2007 and the Maoists stepped into the parliament for the first time. The interim constitution was not however acceptable to some groups in the Terai. They called for the declaration of the Terai region as a federal state and its mention in the interim constitution. They demanded that the constitution guarantee autonomous recognition for the Terai, as well as other regions, and also called for fully proportional elections. The demand trigged an upsurge of ethnic movements, which was later taken up by the indigenous groups as well. The government amended the interim constitution in the wake of the Madhes violence. The number of seats for MPs was increased to 240 from the previous 205, to include a greater representation of members from the Terai. The amendment included the adoption of a Federal system of governance, following the creation of the Constituent Assembly.
In March 2007, the Maoists achieved another political milestone: they joined the interim government. An agreement was inked to hold the Constituent Assembly Election in June 2007, through a mixed election system. The election however, was postponed after the Election Commission said the time line for preparations was not sufficient as the legal framework for the election was still not in place. The Constituent Assembly Election was rescheduled to November 22, 2007. However, months later on September 18, 2007, Maoists walked out of the government, demanding a fully proportional electoral system. They also claimed that Nepal had to first be declared a republic before holding the election.
On October 5, 2007, the Constituent Assembly Election, which was supposed to elect people's representatives to write a new constitution was postponed. Maoists tabled motion in the interim parliament calling for a fully proportional election system and an immediate declaration of a republic. After weeks of political negotiations the UML brokered an agreement whereby the Maoist motion was withdrawn and a differently worded resolution proposed by the UML. The Maoists backed this resolution, but the NC did not. This meant that while the resolution was passed by a simple majority, the two thirds majority required to make the amendment in the interim constitution was not achieved. The seven parties busied themselves in hectic parleys. On December 23, 2007 the seven party leaders met at the PM residence, Baluwatar to agree on a 23 point agreement to break the ongoing political deadlock.
The cabinet meeting held on Dec 28, 2007, declared Nepal a Federal Republic, to be implemented by the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly. A two thirds majority of the parliament passed the resulting constitution amendment bill, adopting Federal Democratic Republic and setting mid- April as the deadline for the conduction of the Constituent Assembly Election.
The amended Interim Constitution increased the number of Constituent Assembly members from 497 to 601 members, out of which 58% will be elected through proportional voting system and 42% through direct election. According to the system, 240 will be elected through the First-Past-The-Post elections in single member constituencies, 335 will be elected through national proportional representation and 26 will be nominated by the formation of new government through the CA Election. With the passing of the Constitutional Amendment the Maoists rejoined the government on Dec 31, 2007.
On January 11, 2008, the cabinet meeting set the new date for Constituent Assembly Election as April 10th 2008. They decided the election would be conducted on one day.
Constituent Assembly (CA) Election
Twice deferred, Nepal's historic Constituent Assembly (CA) election was finally held on April 10, 2008. None of the parties succeeded in getting a simple majority in the CA. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) won 220 out of 575 elected seats, followed by the Nepali Congress with 110 seats, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) with 103 seats, and the Terai-based Madhesi People's Rights Forum with 52 seats. These numbers are only preliminary, as five seats still need to be determined through by-elections and the outcome of several races has been contested in the special election court.
The final list of members elected under the proportional representation system was released on May 8, 2008. The members of the Constituent Assembly were sworn in on May 27, 2008, and the first session of the CA was convened on May 28, 2008. In this session, the CA voted to declare Nepal a federal democratic republic by abolishing the monarchy. Out of 564 members of the CA who voted, 560 voted in favor and 4 against the motion.
The Constituent Assembly (CA) has its complete size with the nomination of 26 individuals by the government nearly three months after the April elections. With new nominations, the CA has now 601 members; 240 elected under first-past-the-post lot; 335 elected from proportional representation; and 26 nominated by the cabinet.
Out of 26 newly nominated members, 15 come from indigenous nationalities and six from marginal tribes. The cabinet on July 4, 2008 selected two legal experts and six women to the CA, the supreme body, which is supposed to draft a new constitution of Nepal.
While the CA has the prime responsibility of drafting a new constitution for Nepal, it also functions as a regular Parliament. Through the fourth amendment to the interim constitution of Nepal on May 28, 2008, the CA also established, for the first time, a largely ceremonial President as the constitutional head of state, as well as a Vice President. The Prime Minister continues to be the head of the government.
The first civilizations in Nepal flourished around the 6th century B.C. They were confined to the Kathmandu valley, the present-day capital of the country. Prince Siddhartha Gautam was born in Lumbini, Nepal c. 563 B.C. The growth of Buddhist belief in Nepal gradually gave way to Hinduism, with the influx of migration from India, around the 12th century. The foremost dynasties that ruled the then Nepal, such as the Gopalas, the Kiratis, and the Licchavis expanded their rule. But it was only in the reign of the Malla kings from 1200-1769 A.D. that Nepal assumed the approximate dimensions of a modern state.
Nepal came close to its present day form in the latter half of the 18th century when Prithvi Narayan Shah, the ruler of a small principality called Gorkha in Western Nepal, expanded the borders of his kingdom. His heirs however, proved unable to maintain firm political control over the country. After more than a year of hostilities with the British East India Company, a commercial treaty was signed with Britain in 1792 and then again in 1816. But it wasn't until 1923 that Britain recognized Nepal's absolute independence.
Rana Regime Gives Way to Democracy
Nepal was ruled by the Ranas between 1846 and 1951. It was Junga Bahadur Kunwar, a nobleman from Western Nepal, who became the first Rana Prime Minister. On 15 September 1846 he conspired to have hundreds of courtiers, noblemen and soldiers to be killed in the infamous Kot massacre (The courtyard massacre), next to Durbar Square in Kathmandu. He then made himself the Prime Minister and took up the title "Rana". The position of the Prime Minister became hereditary in the Rana family, while the Shah Kings were reduced to mere figureheads.
The regime which lasted for 104 years came to an end in 1951, after a popular people's movement, backed by King Tribhuvan . The king was restored to throne, following a brief, self-imposed exile to India. Mohan Shamser became the Prime Minister in 1951, heading the new coalition cabinet for 10 months. He was succeeded by Nepali Congress Party leader Matrika Prasad Koirala.
It was Nepal's first acquaintance with "democracy". A period of semi-constitutional rule followed, during which the monarch, assisted by the leaders of political parties, governed the country. During the 1950s, efforts were made to frame a constitution for Nepal that would establish a representative form of government. Consequently, Nepal Interim Governance Bill was introduced, which was Nepal's second constitution, the first one being the Government of Nepal Act promulgated by Rana Prime Minister Padma Shamsher in 1948.
Partyless Panchayat System
King Mahendra came to the throne in 1955, after the demise of King Tribhuwan. He soon assumed direct rule, terming it "guided democracy". A new constitution was promulgated, superseding the Constitution of 1951. Nepal witnessed its first general election, in which Nepali Congress party swept up majority, making B.P. Koirala the first elected Prime Minister of the country.
In 1958, multi-party democracy and constitutional monarchy were established in Nepal. But it did not last long. King Mahendra took over, and held complete power for the following two years, ruling without a constitution. In 1960 Prime Minister BP Koirala, while he made a public speech was arrested for alleged incompetence. Political parties were banned.
In 1962, a new constitution was drafted, which was the third in Nepal, since the one in 1951. The constitution introduced the party-less Panchayat system, which vested all the authorities with the King. The constitution was amended in 1966 through a royal decree. For the first time, certain offices were brought under the constitution, while the Election Commission was declared an independent body. It was decided that appointments to the Commission could be determined according to the King's directive, which clearly vested the decisions of the Election Commission with the King.
The following years may be called the beginning of a period in Nepal's history that witnessed most frequent changes to the position of Prime Minister. In 1963, Panchayat elections were held and Tulsi Giri was named the Prime Minister. In 1965, he resigned, leading to the appointment of Surya Bahadur Thapa as Prime Minister. In 1965, Thapa yielded office to Kiriti Nidhi Bista. King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah died of a heart attack in 1972, and 26 year old Birendra, succeeded him to the throne.
The coronation ceremony took place in 1975. The Gaun Pharka Rastriya Abhiyan (Return to the village national campaign) was introduced in the same year. In 1976, BP Koirla returned from India but was arrested. In the wake of corruption charges, Tulsi Giri had to resign, giving continuity to the fast changes in the Prime Ministerial portfolio. Kirtinidhi Bista who was reinstated to the position had to step down following nationwide protests by students. Surya Bahadur Thapa assumed the position once more as referendum was announced. The referendum results of 1980 showed people's votes in favour of continuation of the party-less Panchayat system, instead of the reintroduction of political parties. Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa was defeated in the 1983 Rastriya Panchayat election. Lokendra Bahadur Chand became the Prime Minister. In 1986, the second election to Rastriya Panchayat was held, which brought Marich Man Singh to the position of Prime Minister.
Restoration of Multi Party Democracy
The political scenario in Nepal underwent a major change, right after the failure to negotiate trade and transit treaties with India, disrupted the economy in 1989. In 1990, a pro-democracy movement forced King Birendra to lift the ban on political parties. 30 years of party-less Panchayat system introduced by King Mahendra was dissolved with the success of the people's movement. An interim government comprising various parties and king's representatives was formed. The cabinet under the multi-party system was headed by Krishna Prasad Bhattarai as Prime Minister.
A new constitution was promulgated. On November 19, 1990, King Birendra declared the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 2047. According to it, certain constitutional bodies were restructured. The Election Commission was among them. It was decided that the Chief Election Commissioner would continue to be appointed by the King, upon recommendation of the Constitutional Council.
The first free election in three decades was held in May 1991. The multiparty legislative elections provided victory for the Nepali Congress Party, with the Communists becoming the leading opposition party in the parliament. Girija Prasad Koirala became the Prime Minister, while Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, the Prime Minister of the interim parliament lost to CPN-UML Madan Bhandari. In 1992, Local elections were held, in which Nepali Congress won the majority of seats. UML General Secretary Madan Bhandari was killed in a mysterious car crash in 1993. Communists demonstrated against the Koirala government, nationwide. After the government lost a parliamentary vote, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala called for mid-term elections, which were held in November 1994. It resulted in a hung parliament and the largest party of the time, the CPN-UML, formed a minority government. The CPN-UML Government however, had a short life of 9 months.
Nepal was to see rampant political changes in the decade that followed. Nepal saw 8 different governments in a span of five years between November1994- May 1999;
Communist Party of Nepal, Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML)' minority government (November 1994-September 1995),
NC led Center-Right coalition government with RPP and Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) (September 1995-March 1997),
RPP led Right-Left government with UML and NSP (March 1997-October 1997),
RPP led Right-Center government with NC and NSP (October 1997-April 1998),
NC' minority government (April-August 1998),
NC led Center-Left government with Communist Party of Nepal, Marxist-Leninist (ML), a new splinter party out of the UML, and NSP (August-December 1998),
NC' minority government (December 1998) and
NC led Centre-Left government with UML and NSP (December 1998- May 1999).
Growth of Maoist Rebellion
With the increasing political instability, the Maoist movement gained ground. In February 1996, one of the Maoist parties started a bid to replace the parliamentary monarchy with a so-called people's new democratic republic. They launched a movement, which they termed "People's war", led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai. The Maoist insurgency began with attacks of police posts in Rolpa, Rukum, Jajarkot, Gorkha and Sindhuli districts. The Maoists declared a parallel government of their own on the district level, in the areas where they had already formed a stronghold. Nepal Police was mobilized to contain the rebellion. The Maoists escalated their violent activities like extortion campaigns, killings and abductions.
After the minority government led by CPN-UML lost power in the parliamentary vote of no-confidence, a coalition government of Nepali Congress, RPP and Sadbhavna was formed. In 1997, the coalition lost power to a UML-RPP alliance, which in turn lost to a NC-RPP coalition after six months in power.
The third general election since the restoration of democracy was held in 1999, which brought the Nepali Congress back to power with an absolute majority. Krishna Prasad Bhattarai became the Prime Minister for the second time on May 31, 1999. After less than a year in office, Bhattarai resigned on March 20, 2000, and Girija Prasad Koirala became the Prime Minister. The controversy over deploying the Royal Nepal army to quell the insurgency grew.
Royal Family Massacre and Maoist Insurgency
On June 1, 2001, the Royal Family massacre took place. King Birendra was allegedly shot and killed by his son, Crown Prince Dipendra. None of the members of King Birendra's family survived the shootout. Angered by his family's disapproval of his choice of a bride, Crown Prince Dipendra also killed his mother and several other members of the royal family before shooting himself. Prince Gyanendra, the younger brother of King Birendra, was then crowned the new King of Nepal.
Amid growing political flux, Girija Prasad Koirala resigned on July 19, 2001 and the Nepali Congress MPs elected Sher Bahadur Deuba as this successor. Deuba revived attempts to initiate dialogue with Maoists. But the Maoist stand on a Constituent Assembly, which wasn't acceptable to the government, deferred a possible breakthrough. In November 2001, the first session of peace talks between the government and the Maoists broke down, giving way to escalation of violence.
In November 2001, government declared a state of emergency, as the Maoists attacked an army barrack in Dang, western Nepal: the Royal Nepal Army was deployed against them for the first time.
On May 22, 2002, King Gyanendra dissolved the House of Representatives, and declared mid-term elections upon recommendation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. In July of the same year, the local bodies were dissolved and replaced by officials. The mid-term election did not materialize however, and on October 4, 2002, King Gyanendra sacked Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, alleging him of 'incompetence' and calling the government corrupt and ineffective. The monarch grabbed executive powers and sovereignty and nominated Lokendra Bahadur Chand as the new Prime Minister.
A state of emergency was declared in November and the army was ordered to crack down on the Maoist guerrillas. The rebels intensified their campaign, and the government responded with equal intensity, killing hundreds of Maoists, the largest toll since the insurgency began in 1996.
On January 29, 2003, dialogue was held with the Maoists and ceasefire announced. On May 30, 2003, Lokendra Bahadur Chand resigned and the King nominated Surya Bahadur Thapa as Prime Minister. In Aug. 2003, the Maoist rebels withdrew from peace talks with the government and ended a bilateral cease-fire that had been signed in Jan. 2003. The following August, the rebels blockaded Kathmandu for a week, depriving it of supplies of food and fuel.
The Royal Coup
On February 1, 2005, King Gyanendra assumed complete sway in a bloodless coup. Several top politicians were put under house arrest and civil life was severely restricted. Telephone lines were cut off, media curbed and public gatherings forbidden. Without a parliament or a Prime Minister, King Gyanendra held full sway in appointing or displacing the members of his own formed cabinet. Those appointed the Vice Chairman of the cabinet at the time were the likes of Kiritinidhi Bista, Tulasi Giri and Kamal Thapa who had served as ministers in the Panchayat regime.
In Sept. 2005, the Maoist rebels declared a unilateral cease-fire, which ended in Jan. 2006. To overthrow the King's grip, the 7 political parties, Nepali Congress, Nepali Congress Democratic, CPN-UML, Janamorcha Nepal, Sadbhavna Party, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and Bammorcha Nepal, formed an alliance. Leaders of the 7 party alliance held a meeting with the Maosits, in New Delhi, India. Consequently, in November 2005, the two sides signed a 12-point agreement. The agreement was about ending the prevalent violence and to forge ahead against the monarch. The parties which were initially vocal against the Maoists, had joined hands with the Maoists, making it an 8 party alliance. Together, they declared People's movement second, which went on for 19 days.
People's Movement Second
In April 2006, massive pro-democracy protests were organized by seven opposition parties, supported by the Maoists, which went on for weeks. They rejected the offer King Gyanendra made through his first address to hand over executive power to a prime minister. They said he had failed to address their main demands: the restoration of parliament and the redrafting of the constitution. After 3 more days of street demonstrations and bloodshed, on April 24, 2006, King relinquished power to the people. As pressure mounted and the protests intensified, King Gyanendra agreed to reinstate parliament. The new parliament stripped the king of his powers and selected Girija Prasad Koirala as Prime Minister. In May, it voted unanimously to declare Nepal a secular nation and strip the king of his authority over the military.
According to the 16 point and 8 point understanding between the 7 parties and the Maoists, the interim constitution was drafted on August 25, 2006.
Maoists Enter Mainstream Politics
Maoists shunned violence in 2006 after waging a decade long insurgency that cost the country more than 13,000 lives. The government and the Maoists signed the landmark Comprehensive Peace Accord in November 2006, ending 10 years of conflict. Under the Peace Agreement, the Maoists agreed to put a permanent end to violence, return seized property and to end abductions and extortion. The agreement also called for integration of the Maoist army with the state security forces and making public the whereabouts of those forced to disappear by the state and the Maoists, among others. The Maoists agreed that those fighters who had joined the armed forces after May 25, 2006, or were under 18 years of age by that date would be discharged from the camps. The peace accord paved the way for the Maoists to join the interim parliament, and the government.
The Maoists and the political parties endorsed the interim constitution on 15 January, 2007 and the Maoists stepped into the parliament for the first time. The interim constitution was not however acceptable to some groups in the Terai. They called for the declaration of the Terai region as a federal state and its mention in the interim constitution. They demanded that the constitution guarantee autonomous recognition for the Terai, as well as other regions, and also called for fully proportional elections. The demand trigged an upsurge of ethnic movements, which was later taken up by the indigenous groups as well. The government amended the interim constitution in the wake of the Madhes violence. The number of seats for MPs was increased to 240 from the previous 205, to include a greater representation of members from the Terai. The amendment included the adoption of a Federal system of governance, following the creation of the Constituent Assembly.
In March 2007, the Maoists achieved another political milestone: they joined the interim government. An agreement was inked to hold the Constituent Assembly Election in June 2007, through a mixed election system. The election however, was postponed after the Election Commission said the time line for preparations was not sufficient as the legal framework for the election was still not in place. The Constituent Assembly Election was rescheduled to November 22, 2007. However, months later on September 18, 2007, Maoists walked out of the government, demanding a fully proportional electoral system. They also claimed that Nepal had to first be declared a republic before holding the election.
On October 5, 2007, the Constituent Assembly Election, which was supposed to elect people's representatives to write a new constitution was postponed. Maoists tabled motion in the interim parliament calling for a fully proportional election system and an immediate declaration of a republic. After weeks of political negotiations the UML brokered an agreement whereby the Maoist motion was withdrawn and a differently worded resolution proposed by the UML. The Maoists backed this resolution, but the NC did not. This meant that while the resolution was passed by a simple majority, the two thirds majority required to make the amendment in the interim constitution was not achieved. The seven parties busied themselves in hectic parleys. On December 23, 2007 the seven party leaders met at the PM residence, Baluwatar to agree on a 23 point agreement to break the ongoing political deadlock.
The cabinet meeting held on Dec 28, 2007, declared Nepal a Federal Republic, to be implemented by the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly. A two thirds majority of the parliament passed the resulting constitution amendment bill, adopting Federal Democratic Republic and setting mid- April as the deadline for the conduction of the Constituent Assembly Election.
The amended Interim Constitution increased the number of Constituent Assembly members from 497 to 601 members, out of which 58% will be elected through proportional voting system and 42% through direct election. According to the system, 240 will be elected through the First-Past-The-Post elections in single member constituencies, 335 will be elected through national proportional representation and 26 will be nominated by the formation of new government through the CA Election. With the passing of the Constitutional Amendment the Maoists rejoined the government on Dec 31, 2007.
On January 11, 2008, the cabinet meeting set the new date for Constituent Assembly Election as April 10th 2008. They decided the election would be conducted on one day.
Constituent Assembly (CA) Election
Twice deferred, Nepal's historic Constituent Assembly (CA) election was finally held on April 10, 2008. None of the parties succeeded in getting a simple majority in the CA. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) won 220 out of 575 elected seats, followed by the Nepali Congress with 110 seats, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) with 103 seats, and the Terai-based Madhesi People's Rights Forum with 52 seats. These numbers are only preliminary, as five seats still need to be determined through by-elections and the outcome of several races has been contested in the special election court.
The final list of members elected under the proportional representation system was released on May 8, 2008. The members of the Constituent Assembly were sworn in on May 27, 2008, and the first session of the CA was convened on May 28, 2008. In this session, the CA voted to declare Nepal a federal democratic republic by abolishing the monarchy. Out of 564 members of the CA who voted, 560 voted in favor and 4 against the motion.
The Constituent Assembly (CA) has its complete size with the nomination of 26 individuals by the government nearly three months after the April elections. With new nominations, the CA has now 601 members; 240 elected under first-past-the-post lot; 335 elected from proportional representation; and 26 nominated by the cabinet.
Out of 26 newly nominated members, 15 come from indigenous nationalities and six from marginal tribes. The cabinet on July 4, 2008 selected two legal experts and six women to the CA, the supreme body, which is supposed to draft a new constitution of Nepal.
While the CA has the prime responsibility of drafting a new constitution for Nepal, it also functions as a regular Parliament. Through the fourth amendment to the interim constitution of Nepal on May 28, 2008, the CA also established, for the first time, a largely ceremonial President as the constitutional head of state, as well as a Vice President. The Prime Minister continues to be the head of the government.
