Describe in brief any four features of movement for democracy in Nepal.
Nepal witnessed an extraordinary popular movement in April 2006 was aimed at restoring democracy:
- The new king of Nepal, King Gyanendra was not prepared to accept democratic rule.
- In February 2005, the king dismissed the then Prime Minister and dissolved the popularly elected parliament.
- All the major political parties in the parliament formed a Seven Party Alliance (SPA) to regain control over the government from the king.
- They called for a four-day strike in Kathmandu.
- This protest soon turned into an indefinite strike in w’hich, Maoist insurgents and various other organisations joined hands.
- People defied curfew and took to the streets.
- The security forces found themselves unable to take on more than a lakh people who gathered almost every day.
- About 3-5 lakhs protesters reached on 21 April 2006 and they served an ultimatum to the king.
- On 24 April 2006, the last day of ultimatum, the king was forced to concede all the three demands - restoration of parliament, power to an all party government and a new constituent assembly.
- The SPA chose Girija Prasad Koirala as the new Prime Minister of the interim government.