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| Government of Nepal | |
|---|---|
| Conventional long name | Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal |
| Common name | Nepal |
| Capital | Kathmandu |
| Government type | Federal parliamentary republic |
| President | Ram Chandra Poudel |
| Prime minister | Pushpa Kamal Dahal |
| Legislature | Federal Parliament of Nepal |
| Upper house | National Assembly |
| Lower house | House of Representatives |
| Judiciary | Supreme Court of Nepal |
Government of Nepal The national authority of Nepal operates as a federal parliamentary republic centered in Kathmandu and guided by the 2015 Constitution of Nepal. The political system integrates institutions such as the President of Nepal, the Prime Minister of Nepal, the bicameral Federal Parliament of Nepal, and the Supreme Court of Nepal, within a framework shaped by episodes like the Nepalese Civil War, the 2006 Loktantra Andolan, and the abolition of the Monarchy of Nepal in 2008. Contemporary governance is influenced by parties including the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), the Nepali Congress, and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), and by international actors like India–Nepal relations, China–Nepal relations, and institutions such as the United Nations.
Political authority in Nepal evolved from Himalayan polities like the Gorkha Kingdom and the rule of the Shah dynasty, through statecraft by figures such as Prithvi Narayan Shah and the era of the Rana dynasty. The 1950s saw engagement with the United States and United Kingdom after the 1951 revolution ended Rana oligarchy. The Panchayat system under King Mahendra and King Birendra centralized power until the 1990 Nepalese revolution (Jana Andolan) ushered constitutional monarchy and the 1990 Constitution of Nepal. The Nepalese Civil War led by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), the 2001 Nepalese royal massacre, and the 2006 Loktantra Andolan precipitated the 2008 Nepalese Constituent Assembly election and the declaration of a republic. The 2015 Constitution followed the 2015 earthquake and protracted Constituent Assembly negotiations.
The Constitution of Nepal establishes a federal structure with fundamental rights derived from instruments like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and obligations under treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Constitutional provisions reference institutions including the Election Commission, Nepal, the Office of the Attorney General (Nepal), and the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority. Landmark legal developments have involved cases in the Supreme Court of Nepal and statutes like the Civil Code and the Criminal Code, while transitional justice processes invoke mechanisms seen in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Nepal).
Executive authority is vested in the President of Nepal as head of state and the Prime Minister of Nepal as head of government, with a Council of Ministers drawn from the House of Representatives. Prime ministers have included figures such as Pushpa Kamal Dahal, KP Sharma Oli, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Girija Prasad Koirala. Executive functions interact with ministries like the Ministry of Home Affairs (Nepal), the Ministry of Finance (Nepal), and the Ministry of Defence (Nepal), as well as constitutional offices such as the Chief Secretary of Nepal and the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank.
The bicameral Federal Parliament of Nepal consists of the House of Representatives (Nepal) and the National Assembly (Nepal). Legislative history includes the Interim Constitution of Nepal (2007), the Constituent Assembly election, 2008, and the 2017 Nepalese legislative election. Parties represented include the Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal, and regional actors like the Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum. Parliamentary committees mirror practices in bodies such as the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts and engage with statutory instruments like the Budget Speech (Nepal).
The Supreme Court of Nepal heads a judiciary including the Courts of Appeal and district courts. Judicial actors include Chief Justices such as Kalyan Shrestha and institutions like the Judicial Council (Nepal), the Office of the Chief Justice, and the Attorney General of Nepal. The judiciary has adjudicated matters arising from the Constitution Drafting Process, human rights questions connected to the International Criminal Court norms, and disputes involving statutory regimes like the Public Procurement Act (Nepal).
Under the constitution, Nepal is divided into seven provinces—Province No. 1, Madhesh Province, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province, Lumbini Province, Karnali Province, and Sudurpashchim Province—and further into 77 districts such as Kathmandu District, Morang District, and Kaski District. Local governance includes metropolitan and sub-metropolitan municipalities like Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Pokhara Metropolitan City, and rural municipalities governed by elected officials under laws like the Local Government Operation Act (2017). Devolution echoes models practiced by federal republics and engages intergovernmental bodies such as the National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission.
Fiscal institutions include the Ministry of Finance (Nepal), Nepal Rastra Bank, and the Public Accounts Committee. Budgetary cycles follow procedures for the annual national budget presented in the Federal Parliament of Nepal and draw on revenue sources including customs at crossings like Birgunj and remittances regulated through banks such as Nepal Investment Bank Limited. Fiscal policy interacts with multilateral lenders such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and bilateral partners like India and China through projects including Belt and Road Initiative–related cooperation and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank financing.
Nepal pursues a foreign policy of neutrality and engagement with neighbors India and China, participates in the United Nations and contributes to UN peacekeeping operations. Defense affairs are managed by the Nepalese Army and the Ministry of Defence (Nepal); the Armed Police Force (Nepal) and Nepal Police handle internal security. Diplomatic relations encompass missions in capitals such as New Delhi, Beijing, Washington, D.C., Tokyo, London, Brussels, and engagement with forums including the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.
Category:Politics of Nepal