May 11: Nepal, a small landlocked country sandwiched between India and China, has been a political laboratory for much of its modern history. From the early 1900s to the present day, Nepal has experimented with various governance system, and political ideologies in its quest to establish a stable and prosperous society.

Corruption, irregularities, lack of inclusivity, monopoly over resources and myopic leadership have led to the frequent shift of political power and governance model, making the country a testing ground of political forces and centuries-old institution of monarchy. 

The Rana regime in Nepal, also known as the Rana dynasty, was an autocratic regime that lasted from 1846 to 1951. The Ranas were a powerful noble family who held de facto control over the government of Nepal during this period, with the titular king serving as a figurehead.

The Ranas were able to maintain their grip on power through a combination of military force, political manipulation, and suppression of dissent. Under the Rana regime, there was little to no political freedom or democratic participation, and civil liberties were severely restricted.

The Ranas implemented a strict caste-based social hierarchy, with themselves at the top, and the majority of the population subjected to various forms of discrimination and exploitation.

In 1951, a popular uprising led to the downfall of the Rana regime. Then, Nepal held democratic elections in 1959 and Nepali Congress won the polls. With the holding of the polls, Nepal adopted a parliamentary system of governance.  

Unfortunately, the government led by NC’s BP Koirala did not last long then King Mahendra dissolved the parliament in 1960 citing corruption, political instability and Nepal being too close to India. 

Mahendra established a party-less system of governance, known as the Panchayat system. Under this system, power was centralized, and political parties were banned.  Power was oncentrated in the hands of the King and his appointed officials.

The King acted as the ultimate authority, and all decisions were made by him and his close advisors. There was little scope for democratic participation, and the people had limited say in the governance of the country.

During the Panchayat period, Nepal saw some progress in economic development, education, and infrastructure. However, there was also widespread corruption, political repression, and human rights abuses. Political dissent was not tolerated, and opposition leaders, activists, and journalists were often arrested and tortured.

During 1990s, the wave of democracy was sweeping across the world and Nepal was not left untouched by the spillover of the democratic wave. Two political parties- Nepali Congress and Leftist parties campaigned for the restoration of democracy in in hush-hush manner in Nepal. 

The Panchayat system came to an end in 1990, following a pro-democracy movement led by political parties, intellectuals, and students. The movement culminated in a peaceful revolution, which forced King Birendra to accept a new democratic constitution that established a multi-party system of governance.

In 1990, late King Birendra agreed to hold elections and establish a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The Nepali Congress Party won the democratic elections in 1991, and a new constitution was adopted in 1991, marking the beginning of Nepal's second experiment with democratic form of the government. 

The democratic experiment of the 1990s was marked by political instability, corruption, and ethnic tensions. People’s hopes for development and good governance were dashed away.  The Nepali Congress Party was plagued by infighting and corruption allegations, leading to a loss of public confidence.  

Meanwhile, ethnic and regional tensions simmered beneath the surface, with marginalized communities demanding greater political representation and autonomy. Failure of Nepali Congress to guide the country to the path of development, prosperity and good governance caused the frequent changes of the governments. 

In October 2002, King Gyanendra dissolved the Parliament and he appointed a series of prime ministers. In February 2005 he dismissed the Prime Minister and cabinet and assumed direct power through a coup. Initially, public had given king a benefit of doubt, fed up with parties and successive governments’ failure to deliver services to them.

As time passed by, king started showing his true colour by appointing corrupt former royalists and bootlickers to the Cabinet. Human rights violations, censorship on press freedom and corruption made people believe that king was no longer a fitful person to address people’s problems and burning then problem of Maoist insurgency.

Even supporters of the king quickly turned into fierce critics because of his authoritarian grip over the government and restrictions placed on people’s lives. As a result, the royal coup was met with widespread protests and civil disobedience calling for democracy.

The royal coup was followed by a decade-long Maoist insurgency, which began in 1996 and ended in 2006. The Maoists, led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal  Prachanda, inspired by China’s Mao Zedong and his philosophy, had waged the insurgency for the establishment of a republic and the overthrow of the monarchy.

The insurgency was marked by violence, human rights abuses, and political instability, with the Maoists carrying out attacks on government installations, civilians, and security forces. The insurgency lasted for a decade and claimed the lives of over 16,000 people, until a peace agreement was reached in 2006.

The post-peace agreement was marked by significant political changes. The 240-year-old monarchy was officially abolished in Nepal on May 28, 2008, when the Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a Federal Democratic Republic. Nepal adopted a new constitution in 2015.

These changes aimed to address the country's longstanding political and social issues, including the marginalization of ethnic and religious minorities, the centralization of power, and the lack of economic opportunities.

The adoption of the new constitution in 2015 recognized the rights of marginalized communities and established Nepal as a secular, federal democratic republic.

Nepal's political experimentation has not only been limited to the establishment of new political systems and the adoption of new constitutions. The country has also undergone ideological shifts, with various political parties and groups espousing different ideologies, including communism, democracy, and monarchy.

The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) emerged as a major political force in the country during the insurgency, advocating for a communist state. However, following the peace agreement, the party entered mainstream politics and has since moderated its stance, forming alliances with other political parties.

The Nepali Congress Party, founded in 1947, has been a prominent force in Nepali politics, advocating for democracy and liberal values. The party played a key role in the restoration of democracy in 1990 and has formed multiple governments since then.

The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) is another prominent political party in Nepal, advocating for socialism and secularism. The party has formed multiple governments since the establishment of the federal democratic republic in 2008 and has played a key role in the drafting and adoption of the new constitution.

After parliamentary polls of 2022 and by-polls of 2023, the Rastriya Swotantra Party has emerged as a potent political force, gaining the support of voters who have grown disillusioned with the corruption, irregularities, and lack of good governance that have plagued the traditional major parties, namely Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and CPN-Maoist Center. 

Comprised mainly of youthful members from various sectors and parties, the new party won 21 seats in the House of Representatives, and many predict that it will emerge as the single largest party in the next general elections in five years. 

Despite the party's popularity, it has not clearly articulated its political agenda. The Rastriya Swotantra Party has yet to state its stance on crucial issues such as the federal set-up, the country's economic model, secularism, and the democratic republic. This lack of clarity has left many people skeptical about the party's future path if it does win the polls after five years.

Moreover, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, a party of former royals, has also made significant gains from the 2022 polls. The party's political agenda is clear: they aim to restore the monarchy and make former king Gyanendra the ceremonial head of the state.

The royalist party has been organizing civil felicitations for former king Gyanendra Shah in various parts of the country and a section of people are hell-bent on reviving the role of overthrown monarchy in one or another way. 

These recent developments and widespread corruption, economic downturn, and inadequate service delivery by the government, coupled with financial anomalies and a lack of employment opportunities, have caused growing anger and frustration among the people.

These factors have raised concerns that Nepal may be heading towards another period of political instability, resulting in the experimentation of another political structure.  

It is therefore crucial that Nepali politicians and citizens remain vigilant to keep democratic political model intact to avoid testing of another political ideology and government system.