The Impact of the Political Transition on Nepal's Foreign Policy

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Abstract
Nepal is passing through a prolonged political transition after the restoration of multiparty democracy in 1990. The period between 1990 and 2006 was marked by conflict between the political parties and the monarchy, armed insurgency of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and infighting among the political parties. The Constituent Assembly, elected in April 2008, overthrew the 240 year long monarchical rule but was dissolved on 27 May 2012 without being able to come up with a new constitution. Because of such a prolonged political instability, Nepal could not formulate and implement long term domestic as well as foreign policies. This study is an attempt to explore the implications of the protracted political transition on Nepal’s Foreign Policy from 1990 to 2012. Since major theories of International Relations seem to be inappropriate to explain the foreign policy of a weak, small and landlocked nation-state like Nepal, this research has relied on historical empirical analysis (atheoretical case study method) to explore the pathways of transition and the changing foreign policy of Nepal.