TIMELINE-Nepal’s rocky road from monarchy to democracy

KATHMANDU, Nov 26 (Reuters) – Millions of Nepalis vote on Sunday to choose a new parliament and seven state assemblies more than a decade after the end of a civil war. The two-phase election is the first in Nepal since it turned into a federal republic and abolished monarchy in 2008.

Here is a chronology of events in the Himalayan country since then:

2008, May 28 – Special Constituent Assembly elected in April votes to abolish the 239-year-old monarchy and turns Nepal into a republic. 2008, July 23 – The assembly elects Ram Baran Yadav as Nepal’s first president. 2008, Aug. 15 – Former rebel commander Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, is elected as prime minister. He had led a decade-long Maoist civil war that ended two years earlier. 2009, May 4 – Prachanda steps down following a row with the president over the sacking of the army chief, leading to political instability in the country. 2010, May 28 – The Constituent Assembly extends its term after failing to deliver a new charter within the stipulated period of two years. 2012, May 28 – The assembly is dissolved without adopting any constitution amid wrangling among political parties. 2013, Nov 19 – A second Constituent Assembly is elected to continue the unfinished task of drafting the charter. 2015, Apr. 25 – Worst earthquake on record jolts Nepal, killing 9,000 people and bringing political parties together to adopt the charter and focus on reconstruction. 2015, Sept. 20 – The Constituent Assembly approves the new charter, turning Nepal into a secular federal democratic republic. Ethnic Madhesis living in the southern plains reject the new charter, calling it discriminatory. 2015-2016 – More than 50 people killed during protests by the Madhesis demanding a unified homeland in their region. Activists block trade points with India leading to crippling fuel and medicine shortages. 2017, May-Sept. – First elections to local bodies in 20 years held. Lawmakers reject a government proposal to amend the constitution to meet some of the demands of the Madhesi minority. (Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)