POLITICAL TRANSITION IN NEPAL: FROM MAOIST INSURGENCY TO DEMOCRACY

This article examines Nepal’s political transition from armed insurgency to an electoral process, focusing on the constituent assembly, security-sector integration and federal restructuring. It recounts the drivers of the Maoist movement, the 2006 Comprehensive Peace Accord and the interim constitutional architecture. The study analyses the demobilisation and reintegration of combatants, the challenges of drafting a new constitution amid fragmented party competition, and the role of civil society and the international community. It explores contentious issues—identity-based federalism, executive design, judicial independence and transitional justice—and evaluates how institutional choices can either reduce or entrench conflict risks. The paper argues that sustainable peace depends on credible inclusion, accountable governance and economic opportunities that reach marginalised regions.

The body begins with a timeline of the insurgency and peace process, then assesses DDR arrangements and command-and-control dilemmas. Section One reviews electoral engineering—PR versus FPTP trade-offs—and their effects on party incentives and coalition stability. Section Two examines security-sector reform: integration standards, ranks, pensions and the apolitical ethos of the army. Section Three explores federal design, mapping resource-sharing, intergovernmental transfers and safeguards for minorities. Section Four discusses transitional justice—the mandate of commissions, victim participation and reparations—alongside judiciary capacity. Section Five highlights growth and inclusion: infrastructure in hill and Terai regions, hydropower governance and cross-border trade with India and China. The conclusion suggests a sequenced approach: lock in basic security guarantees, clarify constitutional fundamentals, and prioritise visible public-service gains to consolidate confidence in democratic politics.