Democracy in Nepal first attained in 1951 through an armed revolution against the autocratic Rana regime, was short-lived. By a coup d'etat in 1960, the late King Mahendra dismantled the parliamentary democracy and introduced the partyless Panchayat system. After 30 years of the Panchayat Raj, the movement for the restoration of democracy was launched jointly by the Nepali Congress (NC) and United Left Front (ULF) in February-April 1990. The mass movement terminated successfully in its objective to restore the multiparty system. The lifting of the ban on political parties on April 8, 1990, however, opened up new conflicts between the King and the movement leaders on several issues, with its focal and culminating point in constitution making.
Did the dawn of the multiparty democracy mean the end of the Panchayat system? Would the King continue to enjoy his traditional prerogative to grant the constitution in the changed context? What would be the nature and content of the new constitution? During the negotiations held on each of these issues, the palace and its allies made every possible effort to minimise change in order to sustain most of the King's traditional power, position and privilgese. On the other side, notwithstanding the democracy movement's initial simple objective of legalising party politics in the country, the parties involved in the democracy movement made four successive upward revisions in its goals during the period between April 8 and November 9, 1990. First, legalisation of political parties, second, abolition of all Panchayat institutions; third, formation of a constitution drafting committee on the recommendation of the prime minister against the traditional prerogative of the King; and last, a constitutional monarchy.
This party analyses negotiations held between the King and the movement leaders on the following political issues: removal of the ban on political parties; dissolution of the Panchayat institutions; formation of a constitution drafting commission; drafting of the constitution; revision of the draft constitution by the cabinet; counter-draft constitution submitted by the palace; and finalisation of the constitution. The paper focuses on the the goal set by the contending parties, bargaining techniques and strategies applied to assert their own points against the others, development that influenced the negotiations, skill and style of the negotiators, reconciliation of differences, accommodation of each other's views, compromise etc. This paper is mainly based on primary information obtained through interviews with a cross section of leaders who were involved directly in one or other major issue.