Nepal votes for peace/ by Bhojraj pokharel and Shrishti Rana

Nepal has a long history of political struggle and popular uprisings have often threatened the existing regimes of this landlocked, predominantly Hindu state. In 1996, radical Maoists launched what would become the protracted armed struggle, known as The People's War, with the aim of replacing the parliamentary system and the constitutional monarchy with a people's republic. Thousands of people died and even more were injured over the next ten years in bitter fighting which ravaged the country and shocked the world. The gruesome murder of King Birendra, his wife and seven other royal family members in 2001 prompted more international concern about the future of Nepal. The violence eventually came to an end in 2005-2006 when the demand for a Constituent Assembly election was agreed upon. The election was finally held on 10 April 2008, marking one of the most significant events in Nepal's political history because it abolished the country's 239-year-old monarchy and established a multiparty democratic republic.
This book, penned by the former Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal, narrates the country's transformation from a kingdom to a multiparty democratic republic holding Constituent Assembly election. It also discusses the roles of national and international organizations, including the United Nations, in the ongoing peace process of Nepal.