1st Nepalese Constituent Assembly
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The first Nepalese Constituent Assembly was a
unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...
body of 601 members that served from May 28, 2008, to May 28, 2012. It was formed as a result of the first Constituent Assembly election held on April 10, 2008. The Constituent Assembly (CA) was tasked with writing a new
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...
, and acting as the interim legislature for a term of two years. 240 members were elected in single-seat constituencies, 335 were elected through proportional representation, and the remaining 26 seats were reserved for nominated members."Cabinet approves constitutional amendment draft"
Nepalnews, June 25, 2008.
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
PN (M) ''PN'' may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Purple Noon'', a 1960 film * Patriotic Nigras, a griefing group in the game ''Second Life'' Business and economics * Pacific National, a rail freight company in Australia * Participatory notes, ...
АФnow re-formed as the
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) (), abbreviated CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN Maoist Centre, or CPN (MC), is the third largest political party in Nepal. It was founded in 1994 after breaking away from the Communist P ...
тАФwas the largest party in the Constituent Assembly, having won half of the constituency seats and about 30% of proportional representation seats. The CA declared a republic at its first meeting on May 28, 2008, abolishing the
monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy) ...
. In late June 2008, the parties agreed to divide the 26 nominated seats in the CA between nine parties: the CPN (M) was to receive nine of these seats, while the
Nepali Congress The Nepali Congress ( ne, рдиреЗрдкрд╛рд▓реА рдХрд╛рдВрдЧреНрд░реЗрд╕ ; abbr. NC) is the largest social democratic political party in Nepal. As per the results of recent local election, ''Nepali Congress'' stands as the single largest party o ...
(NC) and the
Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) The Communist Party of Nepal ( ne, рдиреЗрдкрд╛рд▓ рдХрдореНрдпреБрдирд┐рд╕реНрдЯ рдкрд╛рд░реНрдЯреА), abbreviated CPN, was a communist party in Nepal from 1949 to 1962. It was founded on 15 September 1949 to struggle against the autocratic Rana ...
PN (UML)(which respectively placed second and third in the election) would each receive five, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum would receive two, and the
Sadbhavana Party Sadbhavana Party is a political party in Nepal. The party emerged from a major split in the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandidevi) in the summer of 2007. Laxman Lal Karna was the joint chair of the party. History Initially the party also used th ...
, the
Nepal Workers and Peasants Party The Nepal Workers Peasants Party (NWPP), also known as the Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party and the Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party ( ne, рдиреЗрдкрд╛рд▓ рдордЬрджреБрд░ рдХрд┐рд╕рд╛рди рдкрд╛рд░реНрдЯреА; abbr. , ), is a communist political party ...
,
Janamorcha Nepal Janamorcha Nepal ( ne, рдЬрдирдореЛрд░реНрдЪрд╛ рдиреЗрдкрд╛рд▓, , People's Front Nepal) was founded in 2002 as the mass organisation and electoral front of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unity CentreтАУMasal). It was formed following the merger b ...
, and the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) PN(M-L)would each receive one nominated seat. Due to its failure in drafting a new constitution, the CA was dissolved on May 28, 2012, after its original and extended total tenure of four years. The next Nepalese Constituent Assembly elections initially slated for November 22, 2012 were held a year later on November 19, 2013, after being postponed several times.


Opening of the Constituent Assembly, declaration of the Republic

The official and final list of members elected under the
proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
(PR) system was released on 8 May 2008; this meant the first meeting of the CA (which has to be held within 21 days of the publication of the final result) would be held before the end of May 2008. On 12 May 2008, it was announced that the first session of the CA would be held on 28 May 2008. The members of the CA were sworn in on 27 May 2008. The composition of Constituent Assembly looked like this: At the first session of the Constituent Assembly (CA) on 28 May, it voted to declare Nepal a federal democratic republic, thereby abolishing the monarchy. When the CA voted on this motion, of 564 members, 560 voted in favor and four opposed."Nepal becomes a federal democratic republic"
Nepalnews, May 28, 2008.
Of all the parties represented in the CA, only the
Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Nepal ( ne, рд░рд╛рд╖реНрдЯреНрд░рд┐рдп рдкреНрд░рдЬрд╛рддрдиреНрддреНрд░ рдкрд╛рд░реНрдЯреА рдиреЗрдкрд╛рд▓; translation: ''National Democratic Party Nepal'') is a Hindu right-wing, cultural conservative. It previously ...
(RPP-Nepal) opposed the motion. Koirala said that Nepal was entering a new era and that "the nation's dream has come true", while celebrations took place in Kathmandu;"Nepal abolishes monarchy"
, Al Jazeera, May 29, 2008.
May 29 and May 30 were declared to be public holidays by the government. The CA also decided that Gyanendra should leave the
Narayanhity Palace The Narayanhiti Palace Museum ( Nepali: рдирд╛рд░рд╛рдпрдгрд╣рд┐рдЯреА рджрд░рд╡рд╛рд░) is a public museum in Kathmandu, Nepal located east of the Kaiser Mahal and next to Thamel. The museum was created in 2008 from the complex of the former Nar ...
within 15 days. Earlier on 28 May, the major parties agreed on the creation of the position of President, while the Prime Minister was to hold executive powers; however, they reached no agreement on exactly what powers the President should have or who should become president, and these deliberations led to a delay in the opening of the CA.Binaj Gurubacharya
"Nepal assembly abolishes monarchy"
Associated Press (''The Washington Post''), May 29, 2008.
On 29 May, the royal standard was removed from Narayanhity Palace and replaced with the national flag. Gyanendra reportedly said on 2 June that he accepted the CA's decision.


Power-sharing discussions

Thirteen parties, including the CPN (M), the NC, and the CPN (UML), met at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction on June 1; no agreement was reached regarding power arrangements. The CPN (M) pressed its demand for both the positions of President and Prime Minister, but the NC and CPN (UML) were unwilling to accept this. The NC wanted these positions to be chosen through a simple majority vote in the Constituent Assembly (CA). Addressing a rally in
Gorkha district Gorkha District ( ne, рдЧреЛрд░рдЦрд╛ рдЬрд┐рд▓реНрд▓рд╛ ), a part of Gandaki Province, is one of the 77 districts of Nepal, which is the fourth largest district (by area) of Nepal and connected historically with the creation of the modern Nep ...
on June 1, Prachanda gave Koirala an ultimatum to present his resignation to the CA within two or three days, warning that if he failed to do so, the Maoist members of the government would resign and the party would lead street protests. After Gyanendra requested that the government make arrangements for his residence on June 1, the government decided on June 4 to give another palace, the
Nagarjuna Palace N─Бg─Бrjuna . 150 тАУ c. 250 CE (disputed)was an Indian Mah─Бy─Бna Buddhist thinker, scholar-saint and philosopher. He is widely considered one of the most important Buddhist philosophers.Garfield, Jay L. (1995), ''The Fundamental Wisdom of ...
, to Gyanendra. Also on June 4, Prachanda and Koirala met; at this meeting Prachanda demanded that the government step aside by June 5 and again threatened street protests. On the same day, the three main parties held a meeting at which they again failed to reach an agreement, but the parties agreed on the need for a few more days and the CPN (M) postponed its deadline for the government to step aside to allow for this period. On June 5, the CPN (M) softened its position, deciding at a meeting of its Central Secretariat that it would not press its claim to the presidency and that it would instead favor having a member of civil society become president. The party expressed continued opposition to a proposal that would allow the Prime Minister to be dismissed by a simple majority vote of the CA. Despite the Maoist desire to have a neutral figure as president, the NC proposed Koirala for the position. The CA held its second sitting on June 5; due to the three major parties' deadlock, this sitting was very brief, lasting less than a half hour, and took no major decisions. On June 11, Gyanendra gave a brief press conference at Narayanhiti, stating his acceptance of the republic and promising cooperation. He also said that he intended to stay in Nepal, asserted that he held no property outside of Nepal, and expressed his hope that he would be allowed to keep his property. He left
Narayanhiti The Narayanhiti Palace Museum ( Nepali: рдирд╛рд░рд╛рдпрдгрд╣рд┐рдЯреА рджрд░рд╡рд╛рд░) is a public museum in Kathmandu, Nepal located east of the Kaiser Mahal and next to Thamel. The museum was created in 2008 from the complex of the former Nar ...
on the same evening and went to his new residence at
Nagarjuna N─Бg─Бrjuna . 150 тАУ c. 250 CE (disputed)was an Indian Mah─Бy─Бna Buddhist thinker, scholar-saint and philosopher. He is widely considered one of the most important Buddhist philosophers.Garfield, Jay L. (1995), ''The Fundamental Wisdom of ...
. Shortly after another meeting between Prachanda and Koirala, the CPN (M) ministers announced their resignations and sent a joint resignation letter to Prachanda on June 12. According to the CPN (M) Minister for Local Development,
Dev Gurung Dev Gurung ( ne, рджреЗрд╡ рдЧреБрд░реБрдЩ) is a Nepalese politician, belonging to the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). Gurung became Minister of Law and Justice on 22 August 2008. And on 20 August 2022 he became General Secretary of Communis ...
, the purpose of the resignations was to "accelerate the process of formation of a new government and bring an end to the current transitional period". However, some considered the resignations to be a means of increasing pressure on Koirala. The resignations were not immediately submitted to Koirala by the CPN (M), and therefore were not made effective. Gurung said that he expected a coalition government to be formed by June 18. Also on June 12, CPN (UML) General Secretary
Jhala Nath Khanal Jhala Nath Khanal ( ne, рдЭрд▓рдирд╛рде рдЦрдирд╛рд▓, ; born 20 May 1950) is a Nepalese politician who was the 35th Prime Minister of Nepal from February 2011 to August 2011. He was previously the chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified ...
asserted that a member of his party should become president. On June 14 he blamed the CPN (M) for the deadlock. At a meeting with
Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) (2002) The Communist Party of Nepal ( ne, рдиреЗрдкрд╛рд▓ рдХрдореНрдпреБрдирд┐рд╕реНрдЯ рдкрд╛рд░реНрдЯреА), abbreviated CPN, was a communist party in Nepal from 1949 to 1962. It was founded on 15 September 1949 to struggle against the autocratic Rana ...
PN(M-L)(2002)General Secretary C. P. Mainali on June 14, Koirala stressed the importance of power-sharing according to the popular mandate and consensus. Mainali expressed the view that the Maoists should be allowed to lead the government, while the post of President should go to someone from the NC and the post of Chairman of the CA should go to someone from the CPN (UML). Meanwhile, Prachanda rejected the possibility of Koirala becoming president, saying that this would be a "dishonour to the people's mandate"; he also expressed concern that having Koirala as president could cause the development of a separate power center from the government, in addition to noting Koirala's advanced age and health problems.
Prachanda Pushpa Kamal Dahal ( ne, рдкреБрд╖реНрдкрдХрдорд▓ рджрд╛рд╣рд╛рд▓; born 11 December 1954), also widely known by his nom de guerre Prachanda (, ; meaning "fierce"), is a Nepalese politician serving as the current Prime Minister of Nepal. He pr ...
said that the President should come from a smaller party rather than from the or the CPN (UML). Koirala said on June 15 that he would not "run around pleading" for the presidency.
Prachanda Pushpa Kamal Dahal ( ne, рдкреБрд╖реНрдкрдХрдорд▓ рджрд╛рд╣рд╛рд▓; born 11 December 1954), also widely known by his nom de guerre Prachanda (, ; meaning "fierce"), is a Nepalese politician serving as the current Prime Minister of Nepal. He pr ...
, meanwhile, said that he expected the new government to be formed imminently, calling on other parties to support this and warning that anyone contravening the people's mandate would have a "heavy price" to pay. Another meeting of the three main parties on June 16 ended in continued disagreement on the key issues, and the CPN (M) said that it would submit the resignations of its ministers to Koirala if the next meeting on June 17 did not produce an agreement. CPN (UML) General Secretary Khanal said on June 17 that it was important for the left-wing parties to work together. While saying that the CPN (UML) and the CPN (M) would cooperate in the future, he noted that it would be necessary for the parties to improve their difficult relationship. The CPN (M) Central Secretariat met on the same day and approved the decision to hold firm on the key issues and for its ministers to resign if an agreement was not reached later in the day. The party chose to support Ramraja Prasad Singh for the presidency.
Upendra Yadav Upendra Yadav (; born 12 November 1960) is a Nepali people, Nepalese politician who has served as the chairman of the People's Socialist Party, Nepal since 2020. He served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal under the government of KP Sharma Ol ...
, the Coordinator of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, also said on June 17 that his party would not participate in the government and would instead be an opposition party, and he stressed the importance of cooperation among the Madhesi parties. Although he criticized the three main parties for focusing on their power struggle, he endorsed the Maoist claim to lead the government, while asserting that some of the key portfolios should be given to other parties. The Constituent Assembly (CA) went into indefinite recess on June 18. The three main parties continued their discussions on that day, but did not reach an agreement. However, CPN (M) spokesman
Krishna Bahadur Mahara Krishna Bahadur Mahara is a Nepalese politician, belonging to the Nepal Communist Party (NCP).He was a prominent Maoist leader during the civil war. After the maoists entered the peace process, he was elected to parliament/constituent-assembly ...
said that they were getting closer to an agreement, and he said that the party had postponed its deadline to June 19. On June 19, the three main parties reached an agreement providing for a constitutional amendment that would enable a government to be formed or dismissed by a simple majority vote of the CA, rather than the previously required two-thirds majority vote. An agreement was also concluded on the issue of integrating Maoist fighters into the national army. However, the parties did not yet agree on a way to resolve the question of power-sharing. Later that day, the Seven-Party Alliance held a meeting at which Koirala said that he was prepared to resign at any time. The CPN (M) and the CPN (UML) leadership met early on June 20, and afterwards Khanal said that the CPN (M) had "responded positively" to the CPN (UML)'s proposal to have someone from the CPN (UML) as president. A leading member of the CPN (UML) said that the two parties had agreed on the candidacy of
Madhav Kumar Nepal Madhav Kumar Nepal ( ne, рдорд╛рдзрд╡рдХреБрдорд╛рд░ рдиреЗрдкрд╛рд▓, ; born 6 March 1953), is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He served as Prime Minister of Nepal from 25 May 2009 to 6 February 2011 for nearly two years. ...
, the former General Secretary of the CPN (UML). However, a leading member of the CPN (M) disputed this, saying that the two parties were closer to an agreement but that their party had not agreed to support a CPN (UML) candidate; he said that both Nepal and
Sahana Pradhan Sahana Pradhan (Nepali: рд╕рд╛рд╣рд╛рдирд╛ рдкреНрд░рдзрд╛рди) (17 June 1927 тАУ 22 September 2014) was a Nepalese politician from a Newar family in Kathmandu. She resigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal on April 16, 2008. She also serve ...
(whose name was proposed by the CPN (M)) had been discussed as candidates. The Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NFIN) met with Koirala on June 20, seeking a recommendation that indigenous peoples not already represented in the CA be included in it through the 26 nominated seats. Koirala, who was supportive of the NFIN's request, also sharply criticized his rivals on this occasion, saying that they were practicing petty politics and were not respecting the people's mandate to work on a consensus basis. The Maoist ministers submitted their joint resignation at a meeting of the seven parties on June 20.
Sher Bahadur Deuba Sher Bahadur Deuba ( ne, рд╢реЗрд░рдмрд╣рд╛рджреБрд░ рджреЗрдЙрд╡рд╛, ; born 13 June 1946) is a Nepali politician and former prime minister of Nepal. He has also been serving as the president of the Nepali Congress since 2016. Deuba has served ...
of the NC said on June 24 that the CPN (M) was responsible for the deadlock and claimed that it was working to divide the Seven-Party Alliance. He also said that Koirala would resign after the election of a President and that the CPN (M) had no authority to demand his resignation before then. Also on June 24, the seven parties agreed on the introduction of a constitutional amendment providing for the election of a President and the formation of a government through simple majority votes. There was, however, disagreement over the NC proposal to include a member of the opposition on the National Security Council; the CPN (M) and the CPN (UML) described this as undemocratic. There was also a proposal to include members of each of the seven parties on the National Security Council. Despite the failure to agree about the opposition's inclusion on the National Security Council, it was agreed to give the opposition a place on the Constitutional Council. The parties also reached agreement on a number of issues related to peace, disarmament and reintegration. A decision was also reached with to divide the 26 nominated seats in the CA among nine parties: the CPN (M) was to receive nine of these seats, while the NC and the CPN (UML) would each receive five, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum would receive two, and the
Sadbhavana Party Sadbhavana Party is a political party in Nepal. The party emerged from a major split in the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandidevi) in the summer of 2007. Laxman Lal Karna was the joint chair of the party. History Initially the party also used th ...
, the
Nepal Workers and Peasants Party The Nepal Workers Peasants Party (NWPP), also known as the Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party and the Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party ( ne, рдиреЗрдкрд╛рд▓ рдордЬрджреБрд░ рдХрд┐рд╕рд╛рди рдкрд╛рд░реНрдЯреА; abbr. , ), is a communist political party ...
,
Janamorcha Nepal Janamorcha Nepal ( ne, рдЬрдирдореЛрд░реНрдЪрд╛ рдиреЗрдкрд╛рд▓, , People's Front Nepal) was founded in 2002 as the mass organisation and electoral front of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unity CentreтАУMasal). It was formed following the merger b ...
, and the CPN(M-L) would each receive one nominated seat.


Resignation of Koirala, Madhesi demands

The Council of Ministers approved the constitutional amendment late on June 25. At a meeting of the Constituent Assembly (CA) on June 26, Koirala announced his resignation, although it will not be finalized until after the election of a President, to whom the resignation must be submitted. Although it was expected that the constitutional amendment would be approved at the same meeting, it was not introduced after Madhesi members of the CA demanded that the amendment be expanded to incorporate a March 2008 agreement between the Madhesis and the government that provided for Madhesi autonomy, among other things. As a result of this, the CA meeting was suspended until June 28. After meeting with Koirala on June 27, Hridayesh Tripathy of the Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) said that Koirala was in favor of incorporating the Madhesi agreement into the amendment and that he asked the Madhesis not to disrupt the CA again. On June 28, the seven parties met to discuss the Madhesi demands; although no decision was reached, all of the parties opposed the Madhesi demand for a single province. The CA met later that day and was again disrupted by representatives of the Madhesi parties, forcing the cancellation of the meeting after only a few minutes. The next CA meeting on June 29 was also disrupted by the Madhesis and was cancelled. Jaya Prakash Gupta, a leading figure in the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), also warned on June 29 that the Madhesi parties would "not only obstruct the CA but also paralyse the entire nation to force he seven partiesto meet our demands." Prachanda, in an interview on June 30, expressed frustration with the Madhesi parties' disruption, which occurred just after Koirala's resignation, when it appeared the road to forming a new government was clear. He said that he favored Madhesi autonomy, but opposed their demand for all of
Terai The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in northern India and southern Nepal that lies south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by tall grasslands, scr ...
to become one Madhesi province. Khanal, the CPN (UML) General Secretary, flatly rejected the demand for a single Madhesi province, condemning it as "a game to disintegrate the nation". He said that the demand ignored the wishes of other ethnic groups in the Terai. The CA met on June 30 but was again disrupted by the Madhesis and the meeting was cancelled. The three main parties reached an agreement with the three Madhesi parties, the MJF, the TMLP, and the Nepal Sadbhavana Party, on July 1, providing for a supplementary amendment bill that would meet the Madhesi demands. Another meeting of the CA was disrupted by the Madhesis and aborted on July 2, while the CPN (M), NC, and CPN (UML) met to decide the draft text of the supplementary amendment bill. The CPN (M) and MJF met on July 3, and the CPN (M) agreed to include a reference to Madhesi autonomy in the bill, while also saying that it wanted the bill to mention other indigenous groups' desire for autonomy. 13 small parties in the CA said on July 3 that they were completely opposed to the Madhesi demand for a single autonomous province, and they criticized the larger parties for the political deadlock that prevented discussion of the issues from taking place in the CA. Sessions of the CA were attempted on July 3 and July 4, but both were immediately disrupted by the Madhesi members and were aborted. On the latter occasion,
Kul Bahadur Gurung Kul Bahadur Gurung ( ne, рдХреБрд▓ рдмрд╣рд╛рджреБрд░ рдЧреБрд░реБрдЩ) is a Nepalese politician and leader of the Nepali Congress party. Gurung has worked as general secretary of the party. He had been Minister of Education in the cabinet of Giri ...
, who chaired the session, urged the Madhesi members to respect the right of other members to be heard, but they ignored him. On July 4, the CPN (M), Nepali Congress, and CPN (UML) agreed on a draft supplementary amendment bill intended to satisfy the Madhesi demands. The draft requires the State Restructuring Commission to consider the March 2008 agreement between the government and the Madhesis when drawing up Nepal's federal structure. A meeting of the Seven Party Alliance followed the three-party agreement, and at this meeting, the People's Front Nepal, United Left Front, and
Nepal Workers and Peasants Party The Nepal Workers Peasants Party (NWPP), also known as the Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party and the Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party ( ne, рдиреЗрдкрд╛рд▓ рдордЬрджреБрд░ рдХрд┐рд╕рд╛рди рдкрд╛рд░реНрдЯреА; abbr. , ), is a communist political party ...
objected to the draft, saying that it would endanger national unity. The cabinet approved the bill late on July 4; at the same time, it decided to nominate the 26 remaining members of the CA, dividing the seats between nine parties in accordance with the parties' earlier agreement and the lists of names they presented. The Madhesi parties quickly deemed the supplementary amendment bill to be an unacceptable "betrayal". Khanal, the CPN (UML) General Secretary, said that the bill should satisfy the Madhesi demands, and he warned that opposition to the bill would not be in Madhesi interests or in the interests of any of the peoples of Terai. He called on the Madhesi members to make proposals and engage in discussion in the CA instead of disrupting it. On July 6, at a meeting between the three main parties and the Madhesi parties, the former agreed to formulate a new bill to replace the one agreed upon two days prior, while the latter agreed to stop disrupting the CA. 23 of the 26 nominated members of the CA were sworn in on July 7; the remaining three were unable to attend the swearing in ceremony. On July 8, the Seven Party Alliance, with the exception of the
Nepal Workers and Peasants Party The Nepal Workers Peasants Party (NWPP), also known as the Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party and the Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party ( ne, рдиреЗрдкрд╛рд▓ рдордЬрджреБрд░ рдХрд┐рд╕рд╛рди рдкрд╛рд░реНрдЯреА; abbr. , ), is a communist political party ...
, agreed on the content of a new draft bill, according to which federal structures would be created in line with the wishes of the Madhesis and other ethnic groups. The Constituent Assembly (CA) was able to meet and function on July 9, for the first time since the Madhesis began pressing their demands on June 26. Although they did not disrupt the CA on this occasion, the three Madhesi parties furiously condemned the proposed bill and vowed that their struggle would continue. During the CA meeting, they submitted a protest notice, and when this was rejected, they chose to boycott the CA's proceedings. Narendra Bikram Nemwang, the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, tabled the bill regardless. Koirala said on July 11 that forming a government was the responsibility of the CPN (M). However, the CPN (M) criticized the NC on July 12 for "obstructing the process f forming a governmentfor the past three months". To protest the amendment bill, the Madhesi parties boycotted the CA meeting held on July 13, at which the amendment bill was considered. The bill was passed on the same day; 442 members of the CA voted for the amendment and seven voted against it. It thus became the interim constitution's Fifth Amendment. The amendment allows for the formation of a government based on a CA majority; it also allows the President, vice-president, Chairman of the CA, and the Deputy Chairman of the CA to be elected by majority vote if there is no consensus. In addition, the amendment provides for the Leader of the Opposition to become a member of the Constitutional Council; however, the CA rejected a proposal from the cabinet that the Leader of the Opposition be included on the National Defense Council. In a meeting with the NC on July 14, the CPN (M) urged it to participate in the new government. A NC leader replied that the party had still not decided whether to participate.


Election of Nepal's first president

An indirect presidential election was held in
Nepal Nepal (; ne, рдиреЗрдкрд╛рд▓ ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, рд╕рдЩреНрдШреАрдп рд▓реЛрдХрддрд╛рдиреНрддреНрд░рд┐рдХ рдЧрдгрддрдиреНрддреНрд░ рдиреЗрдкрд╛рд▓ ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
on 19 July 2008 with a presidential run-off on 21 July. The Nepalese Constituent Assembly (CA) elected in April 2008 elected a new president and vice-president after the Fifth Amendment to the Interim Constitution was passed on July 14. This would be the first President to be elected after Nepal became a republic a few months earlier. In the newly passed amendment, the majority party will form the government, the CA will elect the new president on the basis of majority and a new provision that the Opposition Leader will be a member of the Constitutional Council. The leading political parties, NC, the CPN (M) and the CPN (UML) engaged in discussions regarding who would be the new president. The NC wanted Prime Minister and interim Head of State
Girija Prasad Koirala Nepal Ratna Girija Prasad Koirala ( ne, рдЧрд┐рд░рд┐рдЬрд╛рдкреНрд░рд╕рд╛рдж рдХреЛрдЗрд░рд╛рд▓рд╛ ; 4 July 1924 тАУ 20 March 2010), affectionately known as Girija Babu, was a Nepalese politician. He headed the Nepali Congress and served as the ...
while the CPN (UML) wanted its former Secretary-General
Madhav Kumar Nepal Madhav Kumar Nepal ( ne, рдорд╛рдзрд╡рдХреБрдорд╛рд░ рдиреЗрдкрд╛рд▓, ; born 6 March 1953), is a Nepalese politician and former Prime Minister of Nepal. He served as Prime Minister of Nepal from 25 May 2009 to 6 February 2011 for nearly two years. ...
as president. However, the CPN (M) wants an independent figure as president rather than party figures such as Koirala or Nepal. The Maoists won the most seats in the CA however needs to form a coalition government with the other parties.


See also

* List of members elected in the 2008 Nepalese Constituent Assembly election


References

{{Legislatures of Nepal 2008 in Nepal Constituent Assembly of Nepal Constitutional law Unicameral legislatures