In an informal event a few years ago, I happened to meet Bhutan’s members of parliament, who spoke highly of Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Prachanda. They argued that Prachanda was a visionary leader who was highly trusted by the international community to bring about political stability in Nepal. I was surprised by their views. Nonetheless, this conversation took place a long time ago when Prachanda had just become Nepal’s prime minister for the first time, and his journey from the people’s war to mainstream politics had made the international community hopeful that he and his party would usher in stability into the country. But now, I do not think that the international community maintains that faith. Moreover, his first tenure as prime minister did not turn out to be productive.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, is a Nepalese politician and the chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal.