Nepal in the News

According to the Wall Street Journal, on Thursday, April 11, 2008, the Nepalese people voted to choose lawmakers who will form a government and write a constitution intended to bring stability to Nepal, a country weakened by a Maoist insurgency and an unpopular monarch. However, recent poll-related violence demonstrates the challenges for Nepal has to overcome in order to “move on from its bloody past.” During the vote, unidentified assailants shot dead an independent candidate and at least two people were killed during gunfire in the country's south, where ethnic tensions are high. The main contenders in the balloting are the Nepali Congress party and two Communist parties, one calling itself Marxist-Leninist and the other, Maoist. All favor abolishing the monarchy to create a secular democratic republic. [1]Because Nepal is strategically located between India and China, the international community is watching the vote.
[1]Pokharel, K. & Wonacott, P. (2008, Apr 11). “World News: Nepali Voting Shows a Desire for Stability.” The Wall Street Journal, A.8.