DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL INSTABILITY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THAILAND AND NEPAL

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examines the relationship between democracy and political instability through a comparative analysis of political developments in Thailand and Nepal. It focuses on democracy, institutional capacity, and mechanisms for managing political conflict. The study employs a comparative analysis of democratic development, constitutional arrangements, patterns of political competition, and mechanisms for conflict management in the two countries. The findings suggest that political instability is not a direct consequence of democracy or the expansion of political participation. Rather, it is associated with the capacity of political institutions to accommodate participation, political competition, and societal differences. The case of Thailand illustrates a recurring pattern of political instability in which conflicts among political actors may lead to political crises, interventions outside electoral processes, constitutional changes, and subsequent returns to electoral competition. Nepal, by contrast, followed a different trajectory. Conflicts concerning political representation and the distribution of power developed into armed conflict before being brought back into the political process through the peace process, the establishment of a republic, and the adoption of the 2015 Constitution. The article argues that democratic stability depends not merely on the existence of elections but also on the capacity of political institutions to manage political competition and conflict within commonly accepted rules. Comparing Thailand and Nepal therefore demonstrates that, despite their different trajectories of political transition, both countries face a common challenge: developing democratic institutions capable of accommodating political diversity, managing conflict, and sustaining political continuity.