What Constitution? Nepal's Experience in Post-Conflict Reconstruction

This paper on Nepal's Constitutional crisis since 2008 can be found here.

Abstract:      

Constitution building, and especially creating electoral structures within constitutions, is the most important institutional and legal process within post-conflict reconstruction. The determinations made during this process shape how the society functions and how politics itself occurs in the future of the society. This paper will investigate the role of constitution building in post-conflict Nepal. Specifically, the paper will focus on electoral design within post-conflict constitutions. First, constitutions generally are discussed and next post-conflict constitution building. After that, the nature of electoral design will be discussed. Best practices of constitution building will be offered. Second, a short background of Nepal will be give. The 2007 interim constitution and the 2008 election results will be discussed.