ABSTRACT
Nepal's democratization attempts began in 1951 and continue, with interruptions in between. The history of political transformation and institutional development after Nepal obtained freedom from the Ranas in 1951 can be divided into different phases: the first democratic period, the panchayat period, the second democratic period, the royal interregnum and the post-2006 transitional phase. The undermining of the democratic process began when the top political leaders of the major political parties tried to resolve contested issues outside the Constituent Assembly. The centralized state and political culture meant that the local governments had inadequate power and funds to address the needs of local populations. Abuse of power, corruption, and politicization of the bureaucracy and the police became widespread after 1990. The constitutional reforms did not, however, alter the status of the king, who still held sovereign power. The referendum gave the people two choices: a partyless panchayat system with the prospect of future reform or a multiparty democratic system.
