On May 28, 2008, the newly elected Constituent Assembly of Nepal voted overwhelmingly (560 to 4) to abolish the 240-year-old Shah monarchy and declare Nepal a federal democratic republic. King Gyanendra was given 15 days to vacate the Narayanhiti Royal Palace, which was converted into a museum. The vote was the culmination of the Second People's Movement (Jana Andolan II) of 2006 and the Comprehensive Peace Accord that ended the decade-long Maoist insurgency. Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal ("Prachanda") became Nepal's first republican prime minister. The transition was remarkably peaceful — no blood was shed in the actual abolition, a testament to the exhaustion of all sides after years of conflict. Nepal's new constitution, finally promulgated in 2015 after years of deadlock, established a federal system with seven provinces — an attempt to address the ethnic and regional inequalities that had fueled the conflict.
The End of the Monarchy — Nepal Becomes a Republic
Nepal abolished its 240-year-old monarchy and declared itself a federal democratic republic, ending the Shah dynasty and beginning a new — and turbulent — chapter in its history.
Historical Context
May 28, 2008The End of the Monarchy — Nepal Becomes a Republic
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