नेपाल « NĒPĀL »
— Officially: संघीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल « Sãg‛īja Lōktāntrika Ganatantra Nēpāl ».
— Seat of government: काठ्माडौं « Kāt‛mādå~ ».
— Status: Democratic, but questionable.
— Structure: The Constituent Assembly is elected in geographical constituencies, modified by proportional representation, and chooses the prime minister and the president, with the former being more powerful.
— Governing parties: नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी एमाले « Nēpāl Communist Party – ĒMāLē »; नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी माओवादी-केन्द्र « Nēpāl Communist Party – Māōvādī-Kēndra »; राष्ट्रिय प्रजातन्त्र पार्टी नेपाल « Rāstrīja Prajātantra Party – Nēpāl »; मधेसी जन अधिकार फोरम « Mad‛ēsī Jana Ad‛ikār P‛ōram ».
— Heads of government: प्रचण्ड « Pracanda » (पुष्प कमल दाहाल « Puspa Kamal Dāhāl »), माओवादी « Māōvādī », prime minister; विद्या देवी भण्डारी « Vid‛ā Dēvī B‛andārī », एमाले « ĒMāLē », president.
— Chief opposition party: नेपाली कांग्रेस « Nēpālī Congress », led by शेर बहादुर देउबा « Śēr Bahādur Dēubā ».
— Other parties: राष्ट्रिय प्रजातन्त्र पार्टी « Rāstrīja Prajātantra Party »; तराई-मधेश लोकतान्त्रिक पार्टी « Tarāī-Mad‛ēś Lōktāntrik Pārtī ».
— Recent history: Was, in theory, a constitutional monarchy. The माओवादी « Māōvādī » revolt controlled most of the state’s nominal territory and eventually besieged the royalist government. In 2002, the prime minister, शेर बहादुर देउबा « Śēr Bahādur Dēubā » (1995-7, 2001-2), was dismissed by the monarch, ज्ञनेन्द्र « Jñanēndra » (2001-8), who took executive power. देउबा « Dēubā » was reappointed in 2004 to replace royalist सूर्य बहादुर थापा « Sūrja Bahādur T‛āpā » (2003-4), but in 2005, ज्ञनेन्द्र « Jñanēndra » dismissed that government as well, and placed its members under house arrest, introducing his own state of emergency. After the consolidation of the opposition and defiant street protests, ज्ञनेन्द्र « Jñanēndra » pledged to return executive power to a prime minister chosen by the democratic parties. The parties declined the offer, protests continued, and parliament was reinstated in 2006; गिरिजा प्रसाद कोइराला « Girijā Prasād Kōirālā » (1991-4, 1998-9, 2000-1, 2006-8, cousin of सुशील « Suśīl ») of the नेपाली कांग्रेस « Nēpālī Congress » became prime minister. The parliament voted in favor of an elected assembly to reconsider the constitution; it also, pending the assembly, asserted its right to control the military and determine the royal succession. According to an agreement between कोइराला « Kōirālā » and प्रचण्ड « Pracanda », leader of the revolt, parliament was dissolved in 2007. A unified assembly and administration were formed, though the माओवादी « Māōvādī » party withdrew temporarily from the administration; the other parties agreed to abolish the monarchy to persuade it to return. Assembly elections took place in 2008; the माओवादी « Māōvādī » party won by far the largest share of seats in the assembly. कोइराला « Kōirālā » refused for several weeks to resign as premier, seeking concessions possibly including the presidency, but eventually relented. But an ad-hoc coalition elected यादव « Jādav » to the presidency (originally to have been a ceremonial position), leading to a (temporary) suspension of attempts by प्रचण्ड « Pracanda » to form a government. That government was eventually formed, but प्रचण्ड « Pracanda » (2008-9) resigned when यादव « Jādav » and other parties supported the retention of the chief of army staff, after significant insubordination involving the integration of माओवादी « Māōvādī » fighters into the army. Other parties then formed a coalition under एमाले « ĒMāLē », led by माधव कुमार नेपाल « Mād‛av Kumār Nēpāl » (2009-11) and बाबुराम भट्टराई « Bāburām B‛attarāī » (2011-13). In 2013, with no new constitution agreed, a second constituent assembly was elected, with नेपाली कांग्रेस « Nēpālī Congress » the dominant party.
— FH: 4-4, partly free (not democratic). Econ: 4.05 (115), hybrid.
— Updated: 2016 August 19.
O.T. FORD