Nepal and Its Political Turmoil: Decades of Political Instability Fuel Today’s Street Protests

Nepal is a country with a journey of turbulence and transitions. Nepal’s history of political journey is carved with monarchs, which included the Shah Dynasty of Nepal in the 18th century, followed by King Tribhuvan and the democracy movement, which was forced to restore democracy, followed by  King Mahendra, who introduced the panchayati system, and he was succeeded by King Birendra, who restored multi-party democracy.

Illustration by The Geostrata

In the 1990s, weak governments and corruption increased, which led to Maoist Insurgency, a long civil war in 1996. The Royal Massacre of 2001 worsened the situation, followed by a coalition that forced the king to step down. This turmoil brought Nepal into a spiral of uncertainty and disconnected governance. 

The centuries-old monarchy transitioned to a federal democracy in 2008, paving a new beginning and raising hopes for stability in the eyes of Nepali citizens, but since the hurdles were unresolved, it caused friction.  The change in regime and shifts in the political journey affected the daily lifestyle of citizens and the development of the nation. Corruption scams, power struggles lead to unemployment, migration and instability.

The gap between promises and progress increased domestic failures. The struggle for power and shifting alliances created disputes over boundaries, resources, weak infrastructure and healthcare facilities. 

AN UNEVEN JOURNEY FROM MONARCHY TO DEMOCRACY

In 2015, the constitution introduced a structure that was federal in nature by dividing the country into 7 provinces. However, the implementation was uneven because it highlighted historical divisions and generated new ones. As a result, the hopes and aspirations of the citizens were again betrayed, which led to rage.

Secularity, ethnicity and democracy were questioned and added weight to the frustration of citizens. The imbalance and failures caused street protests, which displayed disappointment, hunger for stability, lack of jobs, inflation and wider awakening.

Nepal’s turmoil has a huge impact on citizens and hence their streets are a tool to remind that democracy is about fairness and trust, it also reminds of aggression with years of dissatisfaction with governance.

The political journey from 1990-2006 consisted of Multiparty Democracy under a constitutional monarchy, which included Jana Andolan (people’s movement).

During the 1990s and early 2000s Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal alternated in government. In 1996, the Moaist insurgency began. All this weakened public faith and slow economic growth adds fuel to the fire even today. Demand for voices to be heard, transparency and rebuilding democracy is the urgent need of Nepalis.

THE ROAD TO REPUBLIC AND COALITION SHIFTS

Restoration of democracy has been marked by constant power struggles and short-lived governments. Former Prime Ministers like Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Girija Prasad Koirala, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Lokendra Bahadur Chand, and Manmohan Adhikari led short-lived governments from 1990 to 2006.

The second People’s Movement (Jana Andolan) was in 2006, followed by an interim government in 2007, which led to the monarchy's abolishment in 2008. Some governments had short-term PMs like Prachanda, Madhav Kumar, Jhala Nath Khanal, and Baburam Bhattarai. In 2012, the constitutional assembly was dissolved, and under a caretaker government of Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi, a fresh election was conducted in 2013.

In 2014, Sushil Koirala took an oath as PM. Under his leadership, the Constitution was announced in 2015, which sparked protests and instability. KP Sharma Oli took office in 2015 and lost parliamentary support in 2016. This led to the return of Prechanda and later rotated back to Sher Bahadur Deuba(NC).

Return of  K.P. Sharma Oli (CPN)  in 2017 with majority votes was the strongest move, but internal rivalry collapsed the struggle and led to the ouster of PM Oli.

This was followed by the Nepal Communist Party formed by the Maoists and the UML merger in 2017.  Fragile coalitions continued, and with the return of Sher Bahadur, Prachanda repeated from 2021 to 2025. A coalition government led by KP Sharma Oli of UML and Sher Bahadur of Nepali Congress in 2024, in July, Oli was sworn in as Prime Minister for the fourth time. Both leaders will have 18 months each to sit in the office.

THE IRREGULAR PATTERN

Since 1990, Nepal has seen 25 shifting governments in the span of 35 years. Not a single prime minister in Nepal has completed a full five-year term. The fragile and constant collapse of the coalition, driven by greed and personal ambitions, has steadily weakened governance. Power has remained concentrated in a few hands, and this dominance has aggrieved the citizens. The political landscape of Nepal is stuck in a cycle of transitions of governments and a deadlock that needs to be pushed or unlocked by new generation leaders with a mindset of development in the nation.

FUTURE OUTLOOK

Recent unrest among citizens is due to years of dominance and unsatisfactory governance. The future depends on rebuilding the trust of citizens and working towards the progress of the young population. The chaos on the streets of Nepal will be calmed down only if stagnation of growth and development is abolished.

The main challenge of Nepal now is not just clearing the streets rather it is about answering the questions raised by the new generation, along with calming their rage with progress and development. Since the expectations of citizens were never met after several years, their trust is broken. Every chant or slogan in the rallies and protests lies a demand to be heard and faith to be restored.

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BY SHRIYA SAWANT

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