NepalThe Executive
Figure 10. Nepal: Structure of the Government, 1991
Executive powers are vested in the king and the Council
of
Ministers--a prime minister, deputy prime minister, and
other
ministers as required. The direction, supervision, and
conduct of
the general administration of the country are the
responsibility of
the Council of Ministers. All transactions made in the
name of the
king, except those within his exclusive domain, are
authenticated
by the Council of Ministers
(see
fig. 10).
The king appoints the leader of the political party
commanding
a majority in the House of Representatives as prime
minister. If a
single party does not have a majority in the house, the
member
commanding a majority on the basis of two or more parties
is asked
to form the government. When this alternative also is not
possible,
the king may ask the leader of a party holding the largest
number
of seats in the house to form the government. In this
case, the
leader forming the government must obtain a vote of
confidence in
the house within thirty days. If a vote of no confidence
is
obtained, the king will dissolve the house and order new
elections
within six months. Other ministers are appointed by the
king from
members of Parliament on the recommendation of the prime
minister.
The constitution declares the king the symbol of the
nation and
the unity of its people. Expenditures and privileges of
the king
and royal family are determined by law. The king is
obliged to obey
and protect the constitution. Although, as in previous
constitutions the monarch remains the supreme commander of
the
Royal Nepal Army, a three-member National Defence Council,
headed
by the prime minister, commands the military
(see Legal Basis Under the 1990 Constitution
, ch. 5). Nonetheless, the king
retains his
power over the army because if there were a threat to
sovereignty,
indivisibility, or security because of war, foreign
aggression,
armed revolt, or extreme economic depression, he could
declare a
state of emergency. During the period of emergency--which
would
have to be approved by the House of Representatives within
three
months and which would remain in effect for six months
from the
date of its announcement, renewable for six
months--fundamental
rights, with the exception of the right of habeas corpus,
could be
suspended. Additional prerogatives of the king include the
power to
grant pardons; suspend, commute, or remit any sentence
passed by
any court; confer titles, honors, or decorations of the
kingdom;
appoint all ambassadors and emissaries for the kingdom;
and remove
any barriers to enforcing the constitution. The king also
nominates
the members of the Raj Parishad (King's Council), the body
that
determines the accession to the throne of the heir
apparent.
Data as of September 1991
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