+1 for Democracy?

Nepal is abolishing its monarchy and declaring itself a republic, but with a Maoist political party at its helm, can Nepal truly be considered democratic? Today, the constituent assembly was sworn in with the missions of officially demolishing Nepal’s monarchy and developing a new constitution for the republic. The assembly has two years to come up with a solution that satisfies the dominant political groups in the country, including the Maoist group that led a ten year insurgency (ending in 2006) against the Nepalese constitutional monarchy.

The Maoists, who emerged as the state’s main party in the election for the assembly, hope to gain a strong presidency for their questionably reputable leader, Prachanda. On one hand, if the Maoists are elected by peaceful and democratic means, it would be a positive gain for democracy in Nepal. On the other hand, the Maoists have the fundamental goal of establishing Mao-inspired communism within the state. Combined with their disposition towards using violence as a political means, democratically elected Maoists may harm the long-term outlook for Nepalese democracy.

The BBC has more information about the latest events in Nepal, and it also has a great Q&A page that provides background information on the situation. For more about Prachanda, click here.