1st Nepalese Constituent Assembly

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The First Constituent Assembly of Nepal (CA) was a single‑chamber parliament with 601 members. It was elected in 2008 and served from May 2008 to May 2012. Its main job was to draft a new constitution and act as interim government for two years.

Composition:
- 240 members elected from single-seat districts
- 335 members elected through proportional representation
- 26 nominated seats distributed among nine parties
- The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) was the largest party, winning about 30% of PR seats and about half of the district seats

Key actions:
- At its first meeting on May 28, 2008, the CA voted to end the monarchy and declare Nepal a federal democratic republic. King Gyanendra left the Narayanhiti Palace, and Nepal became a republic.
- The 26 nominated seats were shared: Maoists got nine; Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) got five each; Madhesi Janadhikar Forum got two; four smaller parties got one each.

Challenges and events:
- The CA could not finish a new constitution and was dissolved on May 28, 2012, after four years (the term had been extended beyond the original two years).
- A second Constituent Assembly election was held in 2013. The 2nd CA drafted the new constitution, which came into effect on September 20, 2015.

Power struggles and protests:
- In 2008, parties fought over who would lead the government and what powers the president should have. The Maoists wanted to lead, while the Nepali Congress and UML favored power-sharing arrangements.
- There were frequent protests, especially by Madhesi groups demanding autonomy for the Terai region, which disrupted CA sessions.
- A July 2008 constitutional amendment allowed the government to be formed by a simple majority in the CA and set rules for electing leaders when there was no consensus. An indirect presidential election was held in July 2008 under these rules, resulting in the selection of Nepal’s president and vice-president.

In short, the 1st Constituent Assembly helped Nepal move from monarchy toward a republic and began laying the groundwork for a new constitution, but it did not complete the task and was followed by a second assembly.