Ever since October 4, 2002, the need to hold parliamentary and local elections has dominated the speeches of those who have held power in the country. For the purpose, creating a national consensus and restoring peace has been stressed in the same breath. But the law and order situation has continued to go from bad to worse and the Maoist violence shows no signs of abating. According to government leaders, poll preparations are going on. But many, inlcuding the pro-parliamentary opposition parties, say elections are inconceivable in the present security situation. Maoist leader Prachanda has called the idea of holding the elections now “pure madness.”However, in his address at the public felicitation function in Pokhara on Sunday, King Gyanendra appealed to all concerned to “create an environment for handing over power of the State to the popularly elected representatives by starting the elections to the House of Representatives within the year 2061.” Apart from speaking of the need to initiate the electoral process by mid-April 2005, the King has stressed the need to create an atmosphere where every voter could exercise his or her adult franchise in favour of the candidate of his or her choice. For this, the King has hoped for cooperation from all those who believe in multiparty democracy, including the political parties.

But many believe that free and fair polls are not possible unless the State can reach some sort of understanding with the Maoists. Such understanding is unlikely without making major concessions to them, including a serious review of the “unalterable provisions” of the 1990 Constitution. Nevertheless, elections are the quickest, safest and easiest way to bring the derailed constitutional process back on track. Now, calls for the restoration of the House of Representatives, whose natural term is about to expire, or the reinstatement of the Deuba government have become redundant. The longer the elections are postponed, the longer the “regression” lasts. However, to give the elections any credibility and an impartial and fair quality, an all-party government is a pre-requisite. The King could have avoided the doubts his wording has raised. When will the elections be completed after initiating them? What about an all-party government chosen with the consent of the major political parties? To give the King’s Pokhara address real meaning, answers to these and other questions are necessary. Resuming the peace dialogue under an all-party, or better still, under an elected government would give more weight and legitimacy to the process as well as receive wider support at home and abroad than under the present dispensation. Pledges of elections will not mean much in themselves unless they can be fulfilled.