The landlocked Himalayan nation has been riven by political instability for ‌decades, with 32 governments taking office since 1990 and none of them completing a five-year-term. A decade later, King Mahendra suspended ​the constitution and banned political parties. A national unity government headed by the Nepali Congress took power in 2006 and ⁠lasted two years. POST-MONARCHY REPUBLICIn 2008, a special assembly dominated by ​former Maoist rebels, who joined mainstream politics under a peace deal, voted to abolish the 239-year-old monarchy. The Communist Party of Nepal faction controlled by the former rebels then took power, but the shift to a republic failed to create ⁠political stability.

Source: The Star March 02, 2026 15:34 UTC