1 / 11

The new Himalayan republic

Explore the rich history and complex political journey of the new Himalayan republic of Nepal, from monarchy to federal republic, marked by struggles, transitions, and socio-political shifts. Witness the fight for democracy, challenges of governance, and the abolishment of monarchy.

dietrich
Télécharger la présentation

The new Himalayan republic

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The new Himalayan republic Ryo Ruiz

  2. Demography and geography • Bordered by India on three sides • Mount Everest • Population of 28 million • 15% town-dwellers • 75% subsistence farmers • 75% of fuel consumption is firewood • Western hill and mountain regions remain the poorest parts of the country and the strongest base of communist support.

  3. A post-colonial monarchy • The Kingdom of Nepal was forged in the late 18th century by Prithvi Narayan Shah. • Reduced to its current size by the Sugouli peace agreement. • Pro-British Jang Bahadur Rana carried out a palace massacre and established Rana premiership. • Rana’s rule overthrown after Indian Independence (February 1951). • Unified Nepal Congress and the Delhi Accord (constituent assembly).

  4. A post colonial monarchy (continued) • King Tribhuvan and son Mahendura dismiss prime minister and cabinet. • New constitution (1959). • King Mahendura uses emergency powers (December 1960) • King Birendra continues legacy.

  5. opposition • Education and Health: literacy 2% to 40%. • Professional middle class emerges, demanding socio-political space. • Arrival of radio helped end Nepal’s seclusion. • Banned parties went underground. • Original Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) was founded in 1949. • Maoist upsurge in West Bengal (early 1970’s)

  6. Jana andolani • February 1990 • CPN-Marxist and CPN-Marxist-Leninist form United Left Front (fall 1989). • ULF forms alliance with Nepal Congress (Movement for Restoration of Democracy). • Remarkable public response. • India, London, and Washington gives support.

  7. Jana andolan I (continued) • Over 500,000 celebrated new cabinet and negotiations with MRD (6 April 1990). • King capitulated by 13 April 1990. • New constitution drafted (November 1990). • “Archaic Democracy” (1990-2002) • First elections in 1991 since 1959. • Maoists of CPN-Unity Centre uses elections to expose the inability of parliamentary politics to resolve basic problems. • CPN-Maoists (1995) emerge as a force at national level by 2000.

  8. Murder at the palace • Crown Prince Dipendra allegedly murdered his father King Birendra, mother, brother, and sister (June 2001). • The Birendra’s brother, Gyanendra, was duly crowned King of Nepal. • Within 6 months, he imposed emergency rule citing the Maoist threat among other things. • Washington and Delhi fully supported the new king.

  9. Royal coup • At the beginning of 2005, Maoists had spread to 73/75 districts, claiming 80% of countryside control. • Growing number of public expression. • King Gyanendra dissolved parliament in May 2002. • February 2005, King sacked the Prime Minister and Cabinet, vested all executive powers in himself, suspended civil liberties, and arrested political leaders. • India now sought to tame the CPN-M, still working to eliminate Maoist threat.

  10. Jana andolan ii • Urban opposition to the February 2005 coup was first organized by the public. • Citizens Movement for Democracy and Peace • Seven Party Alliance (SPA, mid 2005) • Memorandum of Understanding (November 2005) • In March 2006, SPA and Maoists planned to launch joint Jan Andolan II on April 6. • The king invited the SPA to name new Prime Minister (April 21). • By April 23, brought more than 1 million people into the streets. • King capitulated (April 24)

  11. Dilemmas of transition • Initial agreements included an assembly of 497 seats. • 240 first-past-the-post • 240 proportional representation based on party list • 17 “eminences” nominated by the cabinet • Maoist’s lacked funding, patronage structures, and readily identifiable candidates. • Each of the large parties—Nepal Congress, NCP-UML, Maoists—might expact roughly a 1/3 of the seats. • Maoists pulls out of the Interim Government (September 2007). • Maoists and NCP-UML united to pass, by majority, a full PR voting system (December 7). • Monarchy abolished (December 23), becoming a federal republic.

More Related