In April 2006, King Gyanendra surrendered control of Nepal's government after a 19-day protest that included hundreds of thousands of Nepali citizens, the deaths of two dozen demonstrators, 5,000 injuries, and coordination between the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and the Communist Party of Nepal - Maoist (CPN-M or Maoist) rebels. The King, acceding to most of the SPA's demands, restored the last democratically elected parliament. The restored multi-party parliament initiated a ceasefire with the Maoists, stripped the King of most of his powers, and launched a peace process that includes the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement, the launch of the United Nations Mission to Nepal (UNMIN), and the creation of an interim constitution and interim parliament intended to prepare for elections to a constituent assembly, tasked with drafting a new constitution.
On November 21, 2006, Nepal's government and the Maoists signed a comprehensive peace agreement (CPA), officially ending the decade-long civil war. This agreement incorporated the rebels into an appointed interim government, reserving 83 seats for the CPN-M. Additionally, all parties have agreed to hold elections to a constituent assembly by the end of June 2007. While the Maoists also agreed to a UN-monitored arms management process, intended to canton the Maoist army and munitions during elections, it has been reported by domestic and international media that rebel cadres continue to engage in extortion, kidnapping and other forms of CPA violations.
While the ceasefire and CPA have helped provide stability prior to the constituent assembly election, there remains cause for concern. Ethnic differences that the Maoists have exploited for a decade remain salient. In January 2007, Madheshis in the southern Terai region, fueled by their underrepresentation in the interim government, clashed with security forces resulting in the deaths of more than 30 people. In order to return stability to the region, Prime Minister Koirala promised to amend the interim constitution to include a federal system of governance based on proportional representation. However, the successful use of coercion as a means of gaining influence increases the possibility that other groups will make similar demands.
Preparations for constituent assembly elections in June have been hampered by the deteriorating security situation and the government's failure to present the Election Commission with the necessary laws and regulations. The interim constitution is now being amended to increase representation from the Terai and other areas, but does not address other important issues, including the parliament's inability to dismiss the prime minister and the prohibition on opposition parties within the legislature.
NDI trained over 1,750 local women representatives in leadership and public administration skills.
NDI Programs
Since 1994, NDI has conducted programs to strengthen citizen engagement in the political process. In 2000, the Institute initiated a program focused on increasing informed participation in the electoral process. NDI produced radio programs, conducted discussion forums, and launched Nepal's first civic education curriculum which covered the political process, elections and human rights. The Institute also assisted the Election Commission, the District Election Office, and local leaders to promote understanding of election related administration, laws, and procedures.
From 1997-99, NDI conducted a program to help the parties train over 4,000 women candidates to run and serve as local elected officials. From 2001-2004 NDI built the capacity of political parties to develop women political leaders, training almost 11,000 candidates. In 2006, NDI facilitated the creation of the Multi-Party Women's Caucus to campaign for women's issues within political parties and across Nepal.
NDI conducted nationwide opinion surveys in 2004, and again in 2006, to gauge citizens' views of the political situation and inform political parties, civic groups and the government of the views of their constituents. In 2005 the Institute initiated programs to promote consensus building between parties and strengthen political party leadership and governance through national level consultations. These consultations were conducted through party training programs that worked with organizers to spread party building techniques from the national to the local level. Three participants in NDIs program were appointed to the interim Cabinet in May 2006.
NDI facilitated establishing the Civil Society Alliance for Political Reforms to help civil society organizations lobby effectively for political reform. Former US Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's August 2005 visit to Nepal encouraged political parties to seek consensus on the restoration of democracy.
NDI's future program will focus on training political party poll watchers for upcoming elections, building the capacity of domestic organizations to monitor elections, technical assistance in constitutional drafting, and democratic capacity building for civil society, political and media activists in the remote Karnali region. NDI will continue to work with the Multi-Party Women's Caucus to strengthen their ability to advocate for increased rights and participation in the political process.
Funding
NDI programs in Nepal have been funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the United States Department of State, the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom, and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
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