Nepal protest: KP Sharma Oliโs ouster has once again pushed Nepal, which has had 14 governments in the last 17 years, into political instability. Moreover, Nepalโs instability is rooted in its incomplete transition from a centuries-old absolute monarchy to a federal democratic republic.
A day after a series of political leaders, including KP Sharma Oli, tendered resignations amid intensified protests by Gen Z groups, the Nepal Army on Wednesday imposed a nationwide curfew from morning till 5 pm, followed by a curfew until 6 am the next day, to curb any possible violence under the guise of protest.
The Nepal Army has also warned that any form of demonstration, vandalism, arson, or attacks targeting individuals and property during this period would be treated as criminal activity and dealt with accordingly.
The Army also took control of the Tribhuvan International Airport after the agitators tried to enter its premises in the evening on Tuesday. Flight services at the airport were partially suspended in view of the protests.
The Nepal Army earlier announced that it will take charge of security operations from 10 pm on Tuesday. It warned that all security mechanisms, including the Nepal Army, will be mobilised to contain the violence if such activities continue.
Why has instability become a recurring issue?ย
Instability isn’t new to Nepal. It has become a recurring issue in the country for various reasons, including political crisis, corruption and change in governance.
In the recent past and now, KP Sharma Oli failed to provide political stability to Nepal. Oli, who wrecked many governments in the past, kindled hopes for much-needed political stability when he assumed power in 2024, but that proved to be short-lived due to his own actions.
Oli’s ouster has once again pushed Nepal, which has had 14 governments in the last 17 years, into political instability.
Moreover, Nepal’s instability is rooted in its incomplete transition from a centuries-old absolute monarchy to a federal democratic republic in the country.
The decade-long Maoist insurgency (1996โ2006), which claimed over 17,000 lives, ended in 2009 with a peace accord that dismantled the 240-year monarchy in 2008.
Then it was replaced by a fragmented multi-party environment further divided by a proportional representation electoral system.
Take a look at the political history of Nepal
From the time of the restoration of multiparty democracy in 1990, the government has changed at least two dozen times and 14 times since the abolition of the monarchy in 2008.
However, no government has been able to complete a full five-year term, leading to frequent coalition collapses, policy discontinuity, and stalled development.ย
Nepal before 1951
Nepal before 1951 was governed by monarchs from various dynasties, including the Ranas, who ruled through a system where the prime minister was hereditary. However, the Ranas were overthrown in 1951 by ascendant pro-democracy movements, and a parliamentary democracy was established.
Nepal from 1961 to 1990
In 1961, King Mahendra made the announcement to ban political parties and imposed a return to a centralised system of government that consolidated his power, known as “Panchayat”.ย After that, people’s frustration with the system grew and reached a peak in 1990 when some parties launched a campaign and held demonstrations to restore multi-party democracy. The campaign, which was known as the “People’s Movement” compelled King Birendra to lift the ban on political parties, ending the “Panchayat” system.
Nepal in 1996
In 1996, Nepal’s left-wing Maoists started a violent effort to replace the royal parliamentary system with a people’s republic, which led to a decade-long civil war and caused more than 17,000 deaths.
Nepal from 2006 to 2015
General citizens in Nepal protested against the monarchy in 2006, leading to its abolition in 2008, making Nepal a federal democratic republic. King Gyanendra, the last king, became a commoner in the capital Kathmandu. And in 2015, Nepal adopted a new constitution to become a full federal democratic republic.
Nepal from 2015 to 2025
In 2015, KP Sharma Oli took over as prime minister of Nepal for the first time, and his government lasted for about a year. Then he was elected for the second and third times successively in 2018 and 2021 and for the fourth time in 2024.
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