Editing History of Nepal (section)

====Panchayat system====
{{Main|1960 Nepal coup d'état}}
The first democratic elections were held [[1959 Nepalese legislative election|in 1959]], and B. P. Koirala was elected prime minister. But declaring parliamentary democracy a failure, [[Mahendra of Nepal|King Mahendra]] carried out a royal coup 18 months later, in 1960. He dismissed the elected Koirala government, declared that a "partyless" system would govern Nepal, and promulgated a new constitution on 16 December 1960. Subsequently, the elected prime minister, members of parliament and hundreds of democratic activists were arrested.

The new constitution established a "partyless" [[Panchayat (Nepal)|Panchayat system]] which King Mahendra considered to be a democratic form of government, closer to Nepalese traditions. As a pyramidal structure, progressing from village assemblies to the [[Rastriya Panchayat]], the Panchayat system constitutionalized the absolute power of the monarch and kept the King as head of state with sole authority over all governmental institutions, including the cabinet (council of ministers) and the parliament. One-state-one-language became the national policy in an effort to carry out state unification, uniting various ethnic and regional groups into a singular Nepali nationalist bond. The [[Back to the Village National Campaign|Back to Village Campaign]] ({{Langx|ne|गाउँ फर्क अभियान}}) launched in 1967, was one of the main rural development programs of the Panchayat system.

King Mahendra was succeeded by his 27-year-old son, King [[Birendra of Nepal|Birendra]], in 1972. Amid student demonstrations and anti-regime activities in 1979, King Birendra called for a national referendum to decide on the nature of Nepal's government; either the continuation of the Panchayat system along with democratic reforms or the establishment of a multiparty system. The referendum was held [[1980 Nepalese governmental system referendum|in May 1980]], and the Panchayat system gained a narrow victory. The king carried out the promised reforms, including selection of the prime minister by the Rastriya Panchayat.