Panchayat (Nepal)

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Panchayat (Nepali: पञ्चायत) was a political system in Nepal from 1961 to 1990. It banned political parties and placed all governmental power, including power over the Council of Ministers and Federal Parliament, under the sole authority of the king; this made the country a de facto absolute monarchy. After sidelining the Nepali Congress government of B. P. Koirala on 15 December 1960 (1 Poush 2017 BS) in a coup d'état, King Mahendra introduced the panchayat system on 5 January 1961 (22 Poush 2017 BS). Mahendra introduced a four-tier structure (village, town, district, and national) based on limited elected executive committees. The king consolidated power by institutionalizing three pillars of national identity—Hinduism, the Nepali language, and the monarchy—as foundations of everyday social and religious life. This was encapsulated in the slogan, Ek Raja, Ek Bhesh, Ek Bhasa (one king, one dress, one language). Popular discontent with the panchayat system grew and exploded on 18 February...

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