Nepal adopts new constitution, officially ending civil war

Today saw a long-awaited change in Nepal's political environment: for the first time in its history, the state has adopted a constitution drafted not by the previously-reigning monarchy but by representatives of the people. Nepal, a country that has been in political turmoil for more than the last 50 years, made an enormous change in 2008 when the Hindu monarchy was abolished and a multiparty system of democracy was established. The transition was not easy for the state; the 28 million people living in Nepal belong to a variety of ethnic and religious groups, many of whom believe they are being underrepresented in the terms of the new constitution.

The constitution proposes to maintain Nepal as a secular state, not a Hindu one, and to formally split the country into seven provinces. Violence has erupted over both conditions, with minority ethnic groups worried that their votes will become insignificant in parliament when they are confined to territorial areas dominated by opposing majority voices. At least 40 people have been killed in the resulting riots within the last month. India, Nepal's southern neighbor, is worried that the violence will have a spillover effect along the south border.

The new constitution is an important step for a developing country like Nepal, which remains one of the poorest states in the world.

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Samantha Johnson