Nepal and Bhutan in 1999: Some Progress

Abstract

Nepal in 1999 At the end of 1998, Nepal appeared to be poised to continue the series of weak, unproductive, coalition cabinets that had dominated politics in Nepal since 1995. In December 1998, a one-party Nepal Congress Party (NCP) cabinet headed by G. P. Koirala was in office, but with only minority support in Parliament. Koirala' s government held office for the first half of the year primarily on his assurances to the opposition parties that an election would be held. The election date was set for May 1999, about the earliest date that climate permits balloting in the hill areas and the Himalayas. The May election was held on schedule without any serious problems and, to the surprise of many Nepalis, the NCP won an absolute majority in Paliament (111 of 205 seats) and formed a one-party government. The NCP's emergence as a majority party raised hopes that the new government would end the long period of instability caused by multiparty coalition governments and that the new NCP government would be able to enact reform legislation on a major scale-seen as required if Nepal was to begin to improve its political and economic structure. It was also assumed that a relatively strong NCP government would recast vital economic relations with India on terms more favorable to the Nepalis. It has not worked out that way, primarily because of divisions between the two main NCP factions led by Koirala and K. P. Bhattarai. After the May elections, Bhattarai was selected as prime minister while Koirala took over as party president. Both leaders have carefully avoided any open conflicts, but