Monarchy and Democracy in Nepal

Nepal’s political journey is a story of the long struggle between the monarchy and the forces of democracy. For much of its modern history, the king held real power, and democratic governments, when they existed, were short-lived and unstable. The country moved from a Hindu kingdom to a constitutional monarchy, and finally, after a violent internal conflict and a mass pro-democracy movement, to a democratic republic.

Nepal was originally a Hindu kingdom. In the modern period, it became a constitutional monarchy, but this was limited in practice. Throughout this time, political parties and ordinary citizens wanted a more open and responsive government. However, the king, backed by the army, kept full control over the government and restricted the expansion of democracy.

A major breakthrough came in 1990. A strong pro-democracy movement forced the king to accept the demand for a new democratic constitution. Yet, the democratic governments that followed had a short and troubled career.

During the 1990s, the Maoists of Nepal gained influence in many parts of the country. They believed in armed insurrection against the monarch and the ruling elite. This led to a violent conflict between Maoist guerrillas and the king’s armed forces. For a time, there was a triangular conflict among three forces:

• The monarchist forces (supporting the king)
• The democrats (supporting parliamentary democracy)
• The Maoists (seeking a radical restructuring of society through armed struggle)

In 2002, the king abolished the parliament and dismissed the government, ending even the limited democracy that existed. This triggered a major crisis.

The turning point came in April 2006. Massive, countrywide pro-democracy protests erupted. The largely non-violent movement was led by the Seven Party Alliance (SPA), the Maoists, and social activists. The pro-democracy forces achieved their first major victory when the king was forced to restore the House of Representatives, which had been dissolved in April 2002.

Nepal’s transition to democracy was almost complete after this. The country underwent a unique moment in its history: it formed a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution. During this process, different groups had different visions:

• Some sections believed a nominal monarchy was necessary to retain Nepal’s link with the past. …