ISAS Insights

Nepal’s peace process has been transiting from one crisis to another. The latest one has been precipitated by the resignation of Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) and the search for a new coalition government. Prachanda’s resignation was in protest against President Ram Baran Yadav’s decision to reject the cabinet’s decision to sack the army chief, General Rookmangud Katawal. The Maoist-led government sacked General Katawal on the charges of his “defiance” of civilian authority. The government wanted to establish the principle of “civilian supremacy” by curbing the army’s tendency to ignore the government’s directives. The other coalition partners in the Maoist-led government, the Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist (UML) and the Madhesh Janadhikar Forum (MJF) had reservations about the sacking of the army chief. The UML walked out of the cabinet meeting and the MJF submitted a note of dissent when the cabinet took the decision on 3 May 2009.