South Asia Monitor: Permanently on the Brink?: Nepal Strives for Stability - September 1, 2009

In the nearly two decades since the end of absolute monarchy, Nepal has stumbled forward as a nominal democracy. Ethnic divisions, a Maoist insurgency, a royal massacre, and perennially unstable governments have continually dampened optimism about future progress. In the last year, the country has taken several promising, yet tenuous, steps forward. In Nepalese politics, old divisions routinely threaten to derail the entire process and old leaders continue to shape the agenda. However, if the politicians can resolve a few key issues—army integration, ethnic incorporation—long-term stability is fathomable.