It has been a month full of political maneuvering and an notable air of tension as the government has slowly unraveled for the past week in Nepal.
The root issue: whether or not the Chief of the Nepal Army should be fired. He is said to have obstructed the process of integrating the Maoist rebel fighters into the regular army, stating that they are not suitable for the posts. He was fired yesterday by the Prime Minister (the highest government post in Nepal) amid protests from the opposition parties.
Following that 16 Ministers resigned due to the firing. Then, late last night, the President (second in command to the Prime Minister) reinstated the Army Chief, saying that the removal of the Chief is unconstitutional. A curfew was initiated to keep the protests to a minimum. Then, this morning, the legal experts tell everyone that the firing and rehiring moves of BOTH the PM and the President are unconstitutional…uh oh…so all day we have been waiting to hear what would happen. Lots of meetings, lots of boycotting of meetings, lots of protests, lots of rumours.
The PM was scheduled to address the nation today at 3pm and with that televised broadcast…he resigned, stating that the various factions in government are not allowing him to govern the country smoothly and saying the resignation was a move to protect democracy!
So Nepal is now PM-less and the various youth factions are rioting, either in support of the resignation (in short they are celebrating the decision) or in anger that the Maoist leader has stepped down. Basically, an uncertain few days ahead as the country sorts out what this will all mean…
For more details have a look at:
I will do my best to keep everyone posted, but this certainly will impact the ongoing quest for peace and justice in Nepal.