A fresh start in Nepal: lingering uncertainty after Constituent Assembly elections

Abstract

The mainstream Nepali Congress (NC) and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) emerged as clear winners of the 19 November elections to Nepal’s second Constituent Assembly. The Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M), which was the largest party in the 2008 election, came a poor third. At first glance the outcome should impact positively on a string of disputes that the first Constituent Assembly failed to resolve. But this political fresh start can only succeed if the parties can overcome their internal quarrels and reach an urgently-needed consensus on contested aspects of the new constitution. (author's abstract)