Executive branch:
chief of state: King GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah (since 4 June 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Girija Prasad KOIRALA (since 30
April 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Khadga Prasad OLI (since 2 May
2006) and Amik SHERCHAN since June 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet historically appointed by the monarch on the
recommendation of the prime minister; note - the prime minister
selected the Cabinet in May 2006 in consultation with the political
parties
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; note - following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of
a majority coalition historically has been appointed prime minister
by the monarch
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council (60 seats; 35
appointed by the House of Representatives, 10 by the king, and 15
elected by an electoral college; one-third of the members elected
every two years to serve six-year terms) and the House of
Representatives (205 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held in May 1999; note -
Parliament was dissolved in May 2002 but was finally reconvened in
April 2006 with most of the members that were elected in 1999
election results: House of Representatives (for 1999 parliament) -
percent of vote by party - NC 37.3%, CPN/UML 31.6%, NDP (RPP) 10.4%,
NSP 3.2%, Rastriya Jana Morcha 1.4%, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 0.8%,
NWPP 0.5%, others 14.8%; seats by party - NC 113, CPN/UML 69, NDP
11, NSP 5, Rastriya Jana Morcha 5, Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal 1, NWPP
1; note - NC, NSP, and NDP have since each split into two parties
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Sarbochha Adalat (chief justice is appointed by
the monarch on recommendation of the Constitutional Council; the
other judges are appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of
the Judicial Council)
Political parties and leaders:
Communist Party of Nepal/United Marxist-Leninist or CPN/UML [Madhav
Kumar NEPAL, general secretary]; National Democratic Party or NDP
(also called Rastriya Prajantra Party or RPP) [Pashupati Shumsher
RANA, chairman]; Nepali Congress-Democratic [Sher Bahadur DEUBA,
president]; Nepali Congress or NC [Girija Prasad KOIRALA, party
president, Sushil KOIRALA, vice president]; Nepal Sadbhavana
(Goodwill) Party or NSP - Mandal [Bhadri Prasad MANDAL, party
president]; Nepal Sadbhavana Party - Ananda Devi [Ananda DEVI,
president]; Nepal Workers and Peasants Party or NWPP [Narayan Man
BIJUKCHHE, party chairman]; People's Front Nepal (Rastriya Jana
Morcha) [Amik SHERCHAN, chairman]; Rastriya Janashakti Party or RJP
[Surya Bahadur THAPA, chairman]; note - split from RPP in March
2005; Samyukta Janmorcha Nepal [leader NA]; note - merged with
People's Front Nepal or PFN in 2002
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Maoist guerrilla-based insurgency [Pushpa Kamal DAHAL, also known
as PRACHANDA, chairman; Dr. Baburam BHATTARAI]; numerous small,
left-leaning student groups in the capital; several small, radical
Nepalese antimonarchist groups
International organization participation:
AsDB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU,
ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW,
SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS,
UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
chancery: 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 667-4550
FAX: [1] (202) 667-5534
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James F. MORIARTY
embassy: Panipokhari, Kathmandu
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [977] (1) 411-1179
FAX: [977] (1) 441-9963
Flag description:
red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping
right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized
moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun
Economy Nepal