TIME: Almanac 1995

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<text id=93CT1796> <title> Nepal--History </title> <history> Compact ALMANAC--CIA Factbook South Asia Nepal </history> <article> <source>CIA World Factbook</source> <hdr> History </hdr> <body> Modern Nepal was created in the latter half of the 18th century when Prithvi Narayan Shah, the ruler of the small principality of Gorkha, formed a unified country from a number of independent hill states. The country was frequently called the Gorkha Kingdom, the source of the term "Gurkha" for Nepalese soldiers. After 1800, the heirs of Prithvi Narayan Shah proved unable to maintain firm political control over Nepal. A period of internal turmoil followed, heightened by Nepal's defeat in a war with the British from 1814 to 1816. Stability was restored after 1846 when the Rana family gained power, entrenched itself through hereditary prime ministers, and reduced the monarch to a figurehead. The Rana regime, a tightly centralized autocracy, pursued a policy of isolating Nepal from external influences. This policy helped Nepal maintain its national independence during the colonial era, but it also impeded the country's economic development. In 1950, King Tribhuvan, a direct descendant of Prithvi Narayan Shah, fled his "palace prison" to newly independent India, touching off an armed revolt against the Rana administration. This allowed the return of the Shah family to power and, eventually, the appointment of a non-Rana as prime minister. The 1950s was a period of quasiconstitutional rule during which the monarch, assisted by the leaders of fledgling political parties, governed the country. At times, the government was led by prime ministers from those parties who represented a variety of views; during other periods the monarch ruled directly. King Tribhuvan was succeeded after his death in 1955 by his son, King Mahendra. During this decade, efforts were made to frame a constitution for Nepal that would establish a representative form of government, patterned on a modified British model. In early 1959, such a constitution was issued by King Mahendra, and shortly thereafter the first democratic elections were held for a national assembly. The Nepali Congress Party, a moderate socialist group, gained a substantial victory in the election. Its leader, B.P. Koirala, was called upon to form a government and serve as prime minister. Less than 18 months later, however, King Mahendra declared the experiment in parliamentary democracy a failure, dismissed the Koirala government, suspended the constitution, and again ruled directly from the palace. The king charged the Nepali Congress Party's government with corruption, misuse of power, and inability to maintain law and order. He declared that Nepal needed a democratic political system closed to Nepalese traditions. To meet this need, the King promulgated a new constitution on December 16, 1962, establishing a partyless system of panchayats (councils). This was a pyramidal structure progressing from village assemblies to a National Parliament (Rastriya Panchayat), with panchayats elected at the village, town, and district levels by their respective assemblies. With the panchayat system firmly established by 1967, King Mahendra began working out an accommodation with former political party members, and participation in the government by former political leaders was encouraged. The parties thereby gained a degree of legitimacy despite their official nonexistence--a situation which still exists. In January 1972, King Mahendra died of a heart attack and was succeeded by his 27-year-old son, King Birendra. In the spring of 1979, student demonstrations and antiregime activities led to a call by King Birendra for a national referendum to decide on the nature of Nepal's government--either the continuation of the panchayat system or the establishment of a multiparty system. In a December 1979 speech, the king promised to further democratize the constitution if the panchayat system was retained. The referendum was held in May 1980, and the partyless panchayat system won a narrow victory. The king carried out the promised reforms, providing for election to the Rastriya Panchayat by universal suffrage. The Panchayat also was granted greater power then it had previously, including selection of the prime minister. A second round of voting was held in the spring of 1981 to elect a new Panchayat. The election was boycotted by most of the major political groups, which had expressed unhappiness with the king's political reforms (political parties were still banned). Nevertheless, the election attracted a broad array of candidates and a good turnout at the polls. Surya Bahadur Thapa, prime minister from the time of the student uprisings in 1979 until the election, was renominated by an overwhelming majority of Panchayat members when they convened in June 1981. Thapa's government was removed following a "no confidence" motion in the Panchayat in 1983. He was replaced by Lokendra B. Chand, who continued as prime minister until announcement of the 1986 Panchayat elections. Negotiations to allow individuals to run who were identified as political party supporters broke down at the last moment. Major parties again sat out the election, with the exception of certain leftist groups. These groups managed to elect about a dozen candidates under the panchayat guidelines, which required running without party affiliation. A majority of the incumbents seeking reelection were defeated, including several veteran panchayat system supporters. Marich Man Singh Shrestha was named as the first ethnic Newar prime minister. April 1990 saw many democratic changes following an agitation movement led by the Nepali Congress Party and the Unified Left Front (a coalition of seven communist parties), which led to demonstrations and strikes primarily in the major cities of Nepal during February and March. The king responded by dissolving the panchayat system, lifting the ban on all political parties, and removing all references to the "partyless" structure from the constitution. At the same time, all political prisoners were released. An interim government sworn in on April 19th and headed by Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai was charged with running the country and guiding democratic reforms until elections could be held. The interim government is made up of members of the Nepali Congress Party, the communist parties of Nepal, royal appointees, and independents. Members of the national Panchayat have formed at least two political parties. A Constitution Reforms Commission was named by the king in late May to draft a new constitution prior to holding elections, which are expected in early 1991. Government and Political Conditions Pending adoption of a new constitution resulting from a democratic reform process which began in April 1990, there is a multi-party political coalition leading a transitional interim government until democratic elections are held. The former "partyless" panchayat system of government, formally established in 1962, granted the king (chief of state) solo authority for all institutions. The government consisted of a Council of Ministers (cabinet) functioning as the executive arm, and the panchayat structure. The Rastriya Panchayat, the National Parliament, with 112 members elected by universal suffrage and 28 members appointed by the king, topped this structure along with a Raj Sabha (Council of State). Nepal is divided into 14 zones and 75 districts. Zonal commissioners and their assistants and chief district officers--all appointees of the central government--administered these areas. The post of zonal commissioner has now been abolished. The former system of local government consisted of town and village panchayats, with every citizen 21 and older being a member of one of these assemblies. At present, Prime Minister Bhattarai heads the interim coalition government. He also maintains his position as acting president of the Nepali Congress Party. Upon taking office on April 19, 1990, he announced three goals for the interim government: to establish a constitutional reform process, to resolve the dispute with India, and to guide the country to free and fair multi-party elections within 1 year. The king and party members of the former government have given full and public support for the democratization process and the goals outlined by the interim government. Two of the goals have already been attained. In May 1990, a Constitutional Reforms Commission was established to oversee the drafting of a new constitution within 90 days. On June 10, 1990, India and Nepal agreed to restore economic relations to the way they were prior to April 1, 1987. Once the new constitution has been drafted, the Nepalese are expected to hold elections in March or April of 1991. Political parties were forced to operate underground from 1960 until the recent democratic reforms. The Nepali Congress Party, while maintaining a low-key public profile during this period, was the leading opposition against the panchayat system. The leadership of the Nepali Congress Party is elderly and cautious, and the party has historic ties with the Indian Congress Party. The communist groups cover a wide range of leftist political ideologies and, in the past, were unable to unite. In January 1990, seven of the nine leftist groups joined into a loose coalition called the United Left Front. The leftist groups, which had also previously been unwilling to unite with the Nepali Congress Party to form a broad-based front against the former government, agreed in February to support the Nepali Congress Party's "movement to restore democracy." This unprecedented alliance eventually negotiated with King Birendra, who agreed to the formation of an interim government. Both groups agree, however, that the institution of the monarchy should remain in some form because it lends stability to the political system and provides an important symbol of national identity for the culturally diverse Nepali people. Nepal's judiciary has been legally independent of the executive and legislative branches but generally was not assertive in challenging the executive. During the transition period beginning in April, the judiciary has remained legally independent. Under the 1962 constitution, appointments to the Supreme Court and the regional courts are made by the king, while appointments to the lower courts are made by the cabinet on the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission. All lower court decisions, including acquittals, are subject to appeal, and the Supreme Court is the court of last appeal. The king has held executive privilege to grant pardons and set aside judgements. There are hundreds of small, privately owned newspapers which are now free to expound divergent viewpoints as a result of the elimination of all press restrictions following the change of government in April. The press had been strictly constrained by laws forbidding criticism of the monarchy and of the partyless system and by regulations requiring registration and fixed publication schedules. Interim Cabinet (formed April 19, 1990) Chief of State King--Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev Queen--Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah Council of Ministers Prime Minister, Royal Palace Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and Defense--Krishna Prasad Bhattarai (NCP) Home and Communications--Yog Prasad Upadhyaya (NCP) Finance--Dr. Davendra Raj Pandey (I) Industry and Commerce--Mrs. Sahana Pradhan (ULF) Agriculture, Land Reform and MAnagement, and Forests and Soil Conservation--Jhala Nath Khanal (ULF) Law and Justice, Labor and Social Welfare, and Tourism--Nilambar Acharya (ULF) Health--Dr. Mathura Prasad Shrestha (I) Education and Culture and General Administration--Dr. Keshar Jung Rayamajhi (K) Housing and Physical Planning--Achyut Raj Regmi (K) Water Resources and Local Development--Mahendra Narayan Nidhi (NCP) Supplies and Works and Transport--Marshal Julum Shakya (NCP) Key: NCP-Nepali Congress Party ULF-United Left Front K-appointed by king I-Independent Other Officials Chief Justice--Dhanendra Bahadur Singh Chairman, Standing Committee of Raj Sabha (Council of State)--Anirudra Prasad Singh Chief of Army Staff--Gen. Satchit Shum-shere J.B. Rana Ambassador to the United States--Dr. Mohan Man Sainju Ambassador to the United Nations--Jai Pratap Rana Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, 1990. </body> </article> </text>