Nepal at a Cross-Roads: the Future of Decentralization and Sino-Indian Rivalry

Nepal is at a crossroads. The new 2015 constitution made Nepal a Federal Democratic Republic. The process of state restructuring, from a unitary to a decentralized federal state, though complex, expensive and uncertain, seems to be on track to strengthen Nepal’s democracy. This makes Nepal one bright spot within South Asian democracies. But on top of the internal challenges that include political divisions and the growing pains of decentralization, Nepal’s unalterable geographic position, i.e. sandwiched between two Asian Giants, can reduce Nepal to a battleground for regional geopolitical competition between China and India.

CIPE is hosting a panel discussion that aims at assessing the impact of Sino-Indian rivalry, particularly in terms of corrosive capital flows, on Nepal’s ongoing process of national and sub national democratic governance strengthening.

Opening Remarks:

• Andrew Wilson, Executive Director CIPE

Moderator:

• John Morrell, Regional Director Asia and the Pacific, CIPE

Panelists:

• Deependra Chaulagain, Director of Operations, Samriddhi the Prosperity Foundation
• Michael Kugelman, Deputy Director Asia Program and Senior Associate South Asia, Wilson Center
• Dr. Ali Riaz, Author and Professor, Department of Politics and Government, Illinois State University