Nationwide Strike in Nepal Threatens Political Stability
May 5, 2010
By: Randi Zung

In Katmandu, the capital city of Nepal, tens of thousands of Maoist protesters began a general nationwide strike on Sunday to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and his Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) coalition government.  The New York Times reports that protestors, waving Communist flags and chanting anti-government sentiments, have virtually shut down the city’s streets resulting in a food shortage and restricted vehicle passage. 

Peace talks between the ruling coalition and the Maoists, officially known as the Unified Communist Party of Nepal, are currently stalled.  Nepalese political leaders are currently working under a May 28 deadline to draft a new constitution that would result in the restructuring of the national government and the creation of a federalist state.  The creation of the new constitution is currently causing a political standstill, which Maoist supporters assert is impeding the peace process.  In a nationally televised address, Prime Minister Nepal stated: “If changing the government is the main agenda… we should follow established political and constitutional procedures for this.”

Nepal, a former monarchy, has been struggling to maintain a stable political climate since its independence in 1951.  Political reforms spurred multi-party elections in 1990.  In 1996, Maoist extremists destabilized the political climate, plunging the country into a ten year civil war that claimed the lives of 13,000 Nepalese citizens.  The war subsided following the signing of a peace accord between Maoist leaders and government officials in November 2006.  The creation of the new constitution is the final step in the peace accord.

Maoist leaders have stated that the protests will continue until the current government steps down.  According to Voice of America, Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has warned that the peaceful street protests could soon turn violent if the governing coalition, which is currently backed by 22 of the country’s 25 political parties, continues to ignore Maoist demands.  Dahal, also known as Prachanda (meaning “fierce one”), became prime minister following a Maoist majority parliamentary win in 2008.  He resigned in May 2009 when his Maoist-led government fell, after an unsuccessful attempt to remove the Army Chief of Staff.  AFP reports that Agni Sapkota, a senior Maoist official stated: “We are heading towards victory. We will not quit until we reach our goal.” 

Although the strike is causing overall disruption, the mass demonstrations have been largely peaceful.  The New York Times also reports that according to Nepalese media outlets, there have been very few clashes between the demonstrators and Nepalese security officials.  Additionally, AFP reports that Prime Minster Nepal’s government is currently under pressure to reach an agreement on the potential reintegration of approximately 20,000 former Maoist civil war fighters who have been detained in United Nations monitored camps around the country.

Sources:
New York Times - Nationwide Strike in Nepal Threatens Final Steps of Peace Process

Voice of America - Nepal's Maoist Leader Warns That Protests Could Turn Violent

AFP - Tourists hit by Maoist shutdown in Nepal

Also see: CIA World Factbook – Nepal




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