A 2-Minute Guide on Nepal’s Recent Political History
What’s the gist?
Nepali officials have promulgated the country’s new constitution in September, but the country has been going through some turmoil for a few months now.
Why? Because the many believe the new constitution discriminates against the Madhesi , an ethnic community that makes up nearly 30 percent of the Nepalese population.
But let’s get back to a short political history of Nepal to understand the turmoil.
What do I need to know?
Nepal is a landlocked country bordering China to the north, and India to the east, west and south.
It’s a predominantly Hindu country with over a 100 ethnic tribes, many with their own cultures and languages. The country relies heavily on India for food and fuel.
Nepal was ruled by a monarchy until 1951, and in 1990, political parties were allowed to operate within a constitutional monarchy. In 1996, a communist party called the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) led an insurgency against the government because they were not allowed to participate in the national elections.
What followed was a 10-year civil war with a death toll of nearly 18,000. It ended with both sides signing the Comprehensive Peace Accord in November 2006.
With the signing of the peace accord, the monarchy was abolished and a constituent assembly was formed under a prime minister who was the acting head of the state. Then, the country transitioned from being a monarchy to a republic and the Prime Minister resigned after Ram Baran Yadav, the country’s first president, was elected in July 2008.
During the transition period, a temporary constitution was adopted while the government tried to come up with a new constitution that was inclusive of all groups in the country. Over the past eight years, the Nepali government has worked on the new constitution, and on Sept. 20, the parliament adopted it.
Below are some articles from the 116-page constitution:
- The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal will become a federal state.
- The country will be divided into eight states, with final boundaries that are yet to be fixed.
- 45 percent of the parliament will be based on proportional representation of the marginalized groups of the country.
- If a Nepali woman marries a foreign national, their children cannot have Nepali citizenship unless the father first becomes a Nepali. However, if a Nepali man marries a foreign national, their children will be considered Nepali.
- Quotas are in place to provide representation in the state assembly of women, Dalits (low-caste members), ethnic groups like Madhesis, minority communities, etc.
- The constitution establishes a National Inclusive Commission, National Dalit Commission and National Women Commission.
More info:
- Gistory: Months After Earthquake, Nepal Struggles to Find Stability
Brief contributed by Lakshna Mehta.
