Nepalese democracy movement

Series of political movements from the 20th century to 2008

The Nepalese democracy movement was the combination of a series of political initiatives and movements from the 20th century to 2008 that advocated the establishment of representative democracy, a multi party political system and the abolition of monarchy in Nepal. It has seen three major movements, the Revolution of 1951, Jana Andolan and Loktantra Andolan (Nepali: लोकतन्त्र आन्दोलन, romanized: Loktantra Āndolan) which ultimately abolished the Shah monarchy, transitioned Nepal towards a republic and reintroduced multi party bicameral democracy. The beginning of a national movement for democracy in Nepal was the ousting of the Ranas, the long established Nepalese royal family, in the mid 20th century which was influenced by ethnic and political developments from the Indian nationalist movement. However, this period of democracy ended in 1960 and the Panchayat system of government was introduced, abolishing recent democratic institutions, banning political parties and restricting some forms of freedom of speech. A period of economic disputes with India and mounting repression in Nepal led to the Jana Andolan popular movement resulting in the re establishment of multi party democracy under a constitutional monarchy framework. Until 2001, the economic and political situation progressed despite corruption, nepotism and the presence of a Maoist insurgency which developed into a nation wide civil war between the Maoist insurgents and the Government of Nepal. Following the assassination of the Nepalese royal family, King Gyanendra took control of the government and ruled until 2006 through emergency powers enforcing nation wide oppression of media and civil society. During the 19th century, Nepal's expansionist aspirations came in conflict with the British Empire and the British East India Company culminating in the Anglo Nepalese War of 1814 16.

The mid 20th century saw the emergence of an educated elite in Nepal due to an expansion of the country's education system leading to much increased literacy rates and rising levels of higher education attainment in the country. After India's independence, political parties were established and engaged an organised struggle against the Rana monarchy in neighbouring Nepal. The Nepal Communist Party was founded in 1949 with the goal to set up a democracy and People's Republic. In December 1960 King Mahendra dissolved the parliament and devised a ban on political parties and police jailed members of political parties and members of the national cabinet.

The King introduced the Panchayat system of governance which restructured political power to the King elections to holding direct elections at a communal level. While Panchayat legislation formally guaranteed freedom of speech, it was restricted through a number of royal laws, including lèse majesté legislation which prohibited critique of the royal family. Its constitution declared Nepal as a Hindu state with Khasa Nepali as the official language despite Nepal's poly religious and linguistic population. The restoration of democracy in Nepal solidified a shift to neoliberal government policies that promoted economic liberalisation such as the removal of price controls, privatisation and introduction of convertibility for the domestic currency.

The Nepalese civil war, or People’s War, was the result of stalled peace negotiations between the democratic government and the paramilitary wing of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). It resulted in a build up of around 30,000 insurgency fighters and caused approximately 13,000 casualties with thousands unaccounted for. Nepal's first decade of democracy is considered turbulent due to frequent government changes, internal party battles and corruption. Politics continued to be dominated by the Brahmin and Chhetri castes with an underrepresentation of ethnic minorities and women. After the transition to the constitutional monarchy in 1991 Nepal remained one of the least developed countries, situated at 113 out of 130 countries in Human Development Index. The dissolution of the House of Representatives for the 1994 mid term election led to a hung parliament producing 8 unstable coalition governments within 5 years. On the 13 February 1996 the People’s War was declared in response to the perceived government failure to honour the insurgent's demands. Deuba was replaced by Lokendra Bahadur, a former Panchayat politician and Nepalese royalist who failed to negotiate a peace deal with the Maoists and faced the rise of a popular pro democracy movement joined by major Nepali political parties, including the Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (UML), Rashtriya Prajatantra Party, Nepal Congress Party (Democratic), United Left Front, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party. After the reappointment of Deuba as prime minister the Nepali Congress (Democratic), UML and Rashtriya Prajatantra Party left the civil movement and joined the government.