Reactionaries capitalize on dissatisfaction with Nepal’s political parties.

• Violent protests in Kathmandu, led by fringe political forces like the royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party, have led to growing disillusionment with the political establishment.

• Pro-monarchist rallies and demonstrations have been gaining momentum, signaling an undercurrent of dissatisfaction with the republic.

• Nepal’s break from monarchy was a result of years of discontent, culminating in the royal massacre at Narayanhiti Palace in 2001.

• Gyanendra Shah’s attempt to reassert absolute authority and return Nepal to pre-1990 political order led to a backlash.

• Maoist rebels abandoned an armed struggle to join the mainstream democratic process, leading to the formation of a democratically elected Constituent Assembly (CA) and the declaration of Nepal as a federal democratic republic in 2008.

• Despite political volatility, Nepal has remained a constitutional republic, with power alternating among the Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), and former Maoist rebels.

• The government must hold accountable those responsible for the recent violence, including any role played by Mr. Shah.

• The ruling party and opposition must restore public faith by demonstrating the strength, responsiveness, and integrity of parliamentary democracy.