To most people’s surprise, the Maoists won the Constituent Assembly elections, and that by quite a big margin. No doubt this is a major event in the history of Nepal, the implications of which are still unfolding. The country of Nepal has once again shown its remarkable ability to bounce back from tense situations. The mood is generally peaceful and optimistic, one which the tourism industry will undoubtedly benefit from. In this atmosphere of change we hope that the long term changes will be beneficial for all.
So what was this election all about? Is wasn’t exactly a general election, though it certainly will have a major influence on the new government which will be formed in time. This election was primarily to elect a new Constituent Assembly which is responsible for law-making, with a more specific task at hand being the drawing up of a new constitution. Another major issue that will be tackled shortly is that of the monarchy. It is likely that Nepal will be made a republic and the monarchy removed completely. What will become of the royal family exactly remains to be seen. This is a major step for a country that was unified and established by the present Shah dynasty which has ruled since 1768.
The current government is not a democratically elected one. Rather it is an alliance of various parties that was established after the present king was removed from government following the second People’s Movement in 2006. Some of the parties in this alliance have indicated that they would not be part of the new government and the Maoists are of course calling for their leader, Prachandra, to be made president, which seems inevitable in my view. It remains to be seen over the next few weeks how the new government will take shape.
The elections results are determined by 2 major categories and the 601 seats of the Constituent Assembly are divided up accordingly. The First Past The Post (FPTP) result accounts for the allocation of 240 seats. This is more a “winner takes all” approach where the number of votes counts. The Proportional Representation (PR) system accounts for the allocation of the remainder of seats. This is a more representative approach where factors such as number of candidates, number of votes and population are taken into account. It is a system that helps minority groups and parties be better represented.
Results as at 24 April were as follows:
| Party |
FPTP (no of seats) |
PR (%) |
Total (no of seats) |
| CPN-M | 120 | 29.28 | 220 |
| NC | 37 | 21.14 | 110 |
| CPN-UML | 33 | 20.33 | 103 |
| Other | 50 | 29.25 | 168 |
| TOTAL | 240 | 100 |
601 |
Of course the element of fear and intimidation cannot be ruled out. It seems plausible to suggest that, in the minds of many people, relative stability under the rule of the Maoists is better than having them return to an armed struggle – something which has severely crippled the country for more than 10 years.
The atmosphere is one of positive anticipation. The people are keenly watching and wait to see how the Maoists will take the lead in building up the country again. We sincerely hope that they will. Will they remain true to fundamental Maoism? They have promised not to interfere with private enterprise and at least for now the indication is that their approach will be more pragmatic.
What does all of this mean for tourism? The current situation is positive and I would expect the industry to grow and enjoy stability once again. Tourists continued to travel to Nepal even during the darkest times. There should be much less rioting and striking. And the distorting of money from trekkers by the Maoists should cease. In comparison to recent years, it’s probably one of the best periods to visit Nepal. Thinking about going there? I say go!
