Patience Fading for Nepali Judge Turned Premier When Nepal's chief justice was named head of an interim government in March, he promised he would serve only as a caretaker until he could oversee elections in June that were supposed to usher the country into an era of political stability. Those elections never happened, and newly scheduled November polls are in doubt as well. Meanwhile, the South Asian country - known to most outsiders for its majestic mountains and exotic, ancient culture - remains mired in political deadlock, still looking for a transition from a bloody civil war and repressive monarchy to peace and democracy. The chief justice and interim government chief, Khilraj Regmi, has shocked even some of his supporters by proposing an extensive budget, making sweeping bureaucratic changes and exercising the full power of a prime minister. The country's top politicians never envisaged that Regmi would take such strong actions when they named him to the post in March as a compromise candidate they hoped could bring orderly elections to a country trying to gain normalcy. "The government's strategy and objective should have been only elections, but it is diverting from the main objective and focusing on governing the nation," said Bhojraj Pokhrel, who conducted Nepal's last election in 2008. "They are more occupied with the administration rather than proceeding with elections," Pokhrel said. The fate of this nation of 29 million, which has been frozen by political paralysis, might rest with Regmi. Maoist rebels in Nepal fought government troops between 1996 and 2006 until they gave up their armed revolt and joined a peace process that evolved after the country abolished its longstanding monarchy in 2008. A constituent assembly elected to a two-year term in 2008 failed in its task of writing a constitution for the country because of bitter fighting between the main parties. With no political framework in place, the assembly's term was repeatedly extended until it expired in May 2012, plunging the nation into a governing crisis. Baburam Bhattarai, a leader of the main Maoist party, led a controversial caretaker administration, but rival parties demanded he step down before new elections for a second constituent assembly could be held. They turned to Regmi to guide Nepal through quick elections. But Regmi failed to hold June polls. He then appointed a controversial official, Lokman Singh Karki, to head a powerful government watchdog that investigates and prosecutes politicians and officials. Karki is accused of corruption himself when he served as the chief of the customs department, and of abusing his powers to crush pro-democracy demonstrations while serving under then-King Gyanendra's autocratic rule. Regmi's government also announced by fiat the fiscal budget for the whole year in July, without a parliament to question it or debate it. Critics say he should have presented a budget for only a few months and allow the next elected government to fulfill the task. His government also granted contracts to upgrade Nepal's international airport to foreign contractors and promoted and transferred officials by the hundreds. Dilendra Badhu of the Nepali Congress, the nation's second-largest party and a supporter of Regmi's appointment, said the government should not be making long-term programs and policies. "This has not helped create the environment for elections," Badhu said.