Describe the factors which led to the popular mass struggle for restoring democracy in Nepal.
Nepal was one of the ‘third wave’ countries that had won democracy in 1990.
The factors which led to the second movement for democracy are
(i) Although the king formally remained the head of the state, the real power was controlled by the elected representatives.
(ii) King Birendra exercised limited power and accepted the transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy. But he was killed in mysterious massacre of 2001.
(iii) King Gyanendra was not prepared to accept democratic rule, thus, he took advantage of the weakness and unpopularity of the elected government.
(iv) On 1st February, 2005, King Gyanendra suspended the Parliament, dismissed Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba (Nepali Congress-Democratic), appointed a government led by himself and enforced Martial Law.
The movement of April 2006, was aimed at regaining popular control over the government from the king.