Key People and Parties.

Parties and Institutions

Constituent Assembly (CA):Interim legislature in Nepal that is tasked with writing the new constitution.

Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) UCPN(M), Unified CPN(M) or CPN(M): The rebel group that fought the government in the 10-year armed conflict. Beginning their uprising in Febuary 1996 – the same year that the pro-democracy movement had forced the monarchy to begin restoring some aspects of democratic rule – the UCPN(M) continued their insurgency until 2006, when it joined the Seven Party Alliance for the restoration of democracy. After the general elections of 2008, the CPN(M) was the largest single National Assembly.
The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML): One of the largest communist parties in Nepal, and the third largest party overall in the National Assembly after the 2008 elections. It was created in 1991 through the unification of the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist) and the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist).

Nepali Congress Party (NC): Involved in all stages of Nepal’s path to democracy – they were won the first elections in 1959 before seeing their government dissolved and many of its leading figures imprisoned. When King Mahendra retook power in 1952, the NC refused to participate in the panchayat system that followed and instead pushed for full democratisation, and organised mass ralliesin the early 1990s. The NC won the elections of 1991, only to see their government again removed from power by the monarchy in 1999. They are currently the second largest party in the National Assembly. Palace and Royal Nepal Army: Despite allowing democratic elections in 1959, the newly elected government was soon dissmissed and replaced with the partyless panchayat system, effectively returning all powers to King. The system continued until a growing popular pro-democracy movement, and a prolonged civil war with Maoist insurgents forced the reinstatement of a legitimate parliament, and the eventual abolition of the monarchy in 2008. Until 2007, the palace maintained full control over the Nepalese army.

People’s Liberation Army (PLA): The armed wing of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M).

Seven Party Alliance (SPA): Coalition of 7 political groupings in Nepal – Nepali Congress, Nepali Congress (Democratic), Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Nepal Goodwill Party, United Left Front, and Peoples Front – seeking to end autocratic rule. Combined the parties had received over 90% of the vote in the 1991 election, and spearheaded the Loktantra Andolan (democracy movement) in 2006, which resulted in popular pro-democracy uprisings across Nepal, eventually resulting of the abolition of the monarchy and the formation of a Nepali republic

Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM): A splinter group of CPN(M), based in the Terai and fighting for independence for the Madhesh region since 2004. It is still active after breaking a truce with the government in 2007.
UNMIN: United Nations Mission in Nepal. Mandated since 2007 with assisting the Nepali peace process.

Young Communist League (YCL):Youth wing of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M).

People

Puspa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda): Leader of the CPN(M) during the civil war. Prachanda briefly served as the first Prime Minister in the newly democratic Nepal, until a conflict with President Yadav over the sacking of the army’s chief of staff, resulted in Prachanda’s resignation in 2009.
Ram Baran Yadav: The first President of Nepal. Yadav has been at the forefront of the pro-democracy movement as a leading figure in the Nepali Congress. From the marginalised Madhesi ethnic group, Yadav is strongly opposed to any idea of an independent Madhesh state
Madhav Kumar Nepal: Elected as Nepal’s Prime Minister in May 2009, after the resignation of Prachanda. Previously General Secretary of CPN(UML), and Deputy Prime Minister during the early 1990s.