ISAS Briefs

In November 2011, the Supreme Court of Nepal ruled in favour of a fourth extension for the promulgation of the constitution. A final deadline of 27 May 2012 was set for the delivery of this mandate. However, once again the task has not been fulfilled and this stalemate will certainly push Nepal into a deeper political crisis. Inter- and intra-party politicking, ideological clashes and the inability to reach a consensus on the state's restructuring process on the basis of ethnic federalism have altogether hampered the major political parties from working together. Although some political headway has been made in the recent months, the transition to a federal democratic republic and the overall peace process in Nepal will remain incomplete if a constitutional crisis persists.