Kathmandu, Nepal 26 March 2008 – The public in Nepal favours a republic. This is one of the key findings in Nepal in Transition, a study on the state of democracy, based on an extensive survey, and just published by International IDEA. Public opinion has shifted decisively since a first round of the survey conducted in 2004, with an increase from 15 to 59 per cent of respondents preferring a republic over the current monarchy.
The survey also indicates that political awareness and participation have been on the rise and that preference for democracy in Nepal has expanded and deepened. 67 per cent of the respondents said that ‘democracy is preferable to any kind of government’ and 92 per cent said ‘democracy is suitable to Nepal’.
The upcoming elections in Nepal on 10 April 2008 will result in the formation of a Constituent Assembly, mandated to decide the future of the monarchy and political system. The elections, which have been postponed twice, come 16 months after a Seven Party Alliance and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) signed a peace agreement, ending a decade long armed insurgency in Nepal.
Key findings of the study include:
The majority of Nepali voters will need more knowledge and inclusion in the Constituent Assembly to be formed after elections – 59 per cent of the respondents to the survey said ‘I don’t know’ when asked what a Constituent Assembly is.
There is overwhelming support for inclusion - 91 per cent of respondents agreed that special provisions need to be made for excluded groups, such as women and people belonging to Janjati, Madhesh and Dalit, in the new constitution.
Assertion of ethnic and regional identity has risen – although not at the expense of national unity.
52 per cent of the respondents want an end to the monopoly of the Nepali language.
Nepal in Transition is based on a national survey in Nepal covering 162 polling stations of 23 urban and 139 rural areas. It was conducted in April 2007 by International IDEA and the State of Democracy in South Asia/Nepal Chapter. Nepal in Transition reveals findings from sampled groups that include the Madhesis and Gurungs displaced people and Sukumbasis (landless, homeless), as well as comparisons with the first round of the survey conducted in 2004.
The study – and the survey on which it is based – is part of International IDEA’s project Support for Constitution Building in Nepal: http://www.idea.int/asia_pacific/nepal/
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