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Nepal Political Crisis: The Return of the Monarchy?

Is Nepal going back to the former monarchy system? The biggest question for many Nepali nowadays.

Is Nepal going back to the former monarchy system? The biggest question for many Nepali nowadays. Thursday, the 24th of December, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) announced nationwide protests, demanding the restoration of the Hindu state and the constitutional monarchy. The protests were held in all 77 districts of Nepal, and were initiated in the Southern city of Hetauda, on Friday the 25th of December. Other cities followed soon.

The monarchy system was abolished in 2008, and it is really surprising to see that a significant section of Nepal’s population still favours its restoration. The RPP is betting on their support.

The weak performance of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) made right wing parties and pro-monarchy Nepali support the demonstration, and demand that Nepal becomes a Hindu state again. Uncountable corruption by the NCP, no religious conservation, massive unemployment, and mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic are said to be the main issues that drive the movement for the restoration of the monarchy.

On Wednesday, the 30th of December, the Nepali ministry of home affairs sent a directive to the 77 districts to end the pro-monarchy demonstrations by force if needed. Despite the directive, the RPP is going on with its protests. Damodar Wagle, the president of the RPP youth organization Bagmati, stated: "We are supporting the royalists, and our movement will continue despite the directive of the ministry of home affairs. If they use force we will retaliate."

Many observers have said that the pro-monarchy movement could benefit Indian prime minister Narendra Modi – a Hindu Nationalist – because the movement also proposes a constitution based on Hindu beliefs and values.

At the same time prime minister Khadga Prasad Oli dissolved the house of representatives, which created many disputes in the government. The right-wing capitalist party says that Oli did this to become the dictator of Nepal. There have also been disputes within the ruling Communist Party since Oli made the decision to dissolve the parliament by himself without consultation of other party members. This is also a reason for people to support the RPP, since the ruling Communist Party changes things for their own needs.
On January the 1st, thousands of protestors took to the streets in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu. The upcoming weeks will be interesting and will tell us how the protests develop and what this means for the political situation in Nepal. To be continued!