Nepal: Timeline of the constitution dilemma

The third deadline for a draft Nepal constitution expires on 31 August. While another three-month extension has been granted, the postponement underscores the country's fragile political state five years after the end of a decade-long civil war in which 13,000 people died. IRIN chronicles the country's often contentious path to a constitution:

22 November 2005: The Seven Parties Alliance (SPA) finalizes a 12-point agreement with the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) in New Delhi, as a roadmap for resolving conflict and restoring a democracy in Nepal;

6 April 2006: Maoist-supported SPA declares a nationwide non-violent and peaceful pro-democracy people's movement;

24 April: After the 19 days people's movement, referred to as Jana Andolan-II, King Gyanendra reinstates the old House of Representatives, which was dissolved in February 2005. The King calls upon the SPA to unify the nation. SPA accepts the reinstitution of Parliament;

26 April: Maoists declare three months unilateral ceasefire, agreeing to peace talks with key demands to draw up a new constitution;

28 April: Giraja Prasad Koirala, president of the Nepali Congress (NC) party, becomes the prime minister of the new government;

30 April: The House of Representatives passes the Constituent Assembly (CA) unanimously;

3 May: The government declares a ceasefire, removes the terrorist tags of the Maoists and invites the Maoist party for peace talks;

21 November: The armed insurgency that began on February 1996 formally ends with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the government and the Maoist party;

15 January 2007: The Interim Constitution is drafted by a committee headed by the late Justice Laxman Prasad Aryal replacing the 1990 Constitution;

23 January: The UN establishes the political mission UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) after a request from the Maoists and the government; 

1 April: The new government is formed and a date for CA elections is set for 20 June 2007;

13 April: The Election Commission declares its inability to conduct the CA polls on 20 June and postpones the elections to November.

18 September: Maoist ministers resign from the cabinet after Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala rejects demands for a pre-poll proclamation of a republic;

5 October: The CA elections, re-scheduled for 22 November 2007, are postponed indefinitely after crisis talks fail to bring the Maoist party back into the government;

30 December: The Maoist party rejoins the government, making a deal to end the monarchy and setting a new date for the CA elections in April 2008;

10 April 2008: The election of the 601-member CA results in a Maoist majority and more social diversity in the government, increasing the representation of women and other minorities. The CA is mandated to draft a new constitution by 28 May 2010 to replace the Interim Constitution;

28 May: During its first meeting, the CA votes overwhelmingly in favour of abolishing the 240-year-old Hindu monarchy and Nepal is declared a Federal Democratic Republic;

21 July: The CA elects Ram Baran Yadav, leader of the NC party, as Nepal's first president;

15 August: Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal is elected as Nepal's first Maoist prime minister;

4 May 2009: Dahal, also known as Prachanda, resigns less than nine months after coming to power, when the country's president blocks his move to fire the army chief;

23 May: Madhav Kumar Nepal, chairman of the constitution-drafting committee, is elected as prime minister "unopposed", with the support of representatives from 22 political parties in the CA;

28 May 2010: The CA's initial deadline for a constitution is extended by one year;

30 June: Nepal resigns under pressure from the opposition Maoist party but continues to serve as caretaker PM for seven months;

15 January 2011: UNMIN withdraws;

3 February: The CA elects president of the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML), Jhala Nath Khanal, as PM to succeed his party's leader Nepal. Khanal agrees to step down by 13 August if no progress is made;

28 May: The CA term and Interim Constitution expire for the second time;

29 May: The CA extends the deadline for a constitution by three more months even though the Supreme Court of Nepal on 25 May 2011 ruled the initial 2010 extension was unconstitutional;

14 August: Khanal resigns under intense pressure from his own party, CPN-UML but continues as caretaker PM until the new government is formed;

15 August: President Yadav calls on the parties to form a national consensus government by 21 August, but negotiations fail even after an extension of three days. The president calls for a parliamentary vote for a majority government;

28 August: Baburam Bhattarai, vice-chairman of the Maoist party, is elected the fourth prime minister;

29 August: Parliament endorses the proposal to extend the CA term for a third time. The new deadline, as of 31 August, will be 30 November 2011.