Despite last-minute assurance of insurance for contestants and the government’s claim of foolproof security arrangements, the Election Commission’s offices saw a low registration of potential candidates for the municipal poll. Instead, a large number of those candidates who had filed the nomination papers withdrew their names from the fray and many contestants are declared winners unopposed. Many of the posts for ward chairman and ward member will remain vacant even after the poll as no one has come to contest the seats.

The seven-party alliance has decided to boycott the poll and even Rastrya Prajatanta Party (Rana) and the Nepal Praja Parishad led by Keshav Sthapit have announced that they will not participate. Sthapit, who had started poll campaign for the post of Kathmandu Metropolitan City mayor, finally withdrew because of the Maoist threat. Despite the representation of six members of an EC-recognised party, including its president, in the present Council of Ministers, the low registration of mostly non-enthusiastic candidates is far from encouraging. This shows that the ministers and the officials of the secretariat have not only failed to give right advice to the king, but have also proved unable to tackle the situation and make the poll a success.

The confrontation between the government and political forces along with sharp political polarisation has aggravated conflict in the country. Neither the government nor the mainstream parties are willing to hold dialogue to come to an agreeable solution. The government is committed to holding municipal election, and the parties and the Maoists are pressing for its cancellation. They also have vowed to disrupt the poll because it cannot address the present political crisis, as it is not a legislative body. The government, in turn, has warned against those disrupting the polls. Because of this confrontational attitude, the nation is on a further collision course and many fear that this confrontational environment might lead to more violence and bloodshed.

In an attempt to disrupt the scheduled agitation of the alliance, over hundred leaders were arrested and a daylong curfew was imposed. The government claimed that it was forced to take harsh steps because of the possible infiltration of the rebels in the mass meeting, whereas the agitating leaders say that the efforts at bringing the Maoists into the mainstream were undertaken with a view to bringing the rebels within the ambit of reconciliatory politics.

The government took this harsh step after the Maoists attacked Thankot police checkpost and killed 11 police personnel immediately after their withdrawal of unilateral ceasefire despite the appeals from UN secretary general Kofi Annan and the European Union to extend the truce. Supporting Annan’s truce call, the EU stressed the need for the UN or other appropriate external body to help broker and monitor a ceasefire agreement and facilitate a peace process. As unilateral truce by the Maoists left positive impact in the form of reconciliation between political parties and rebels and helped the people experience peace after a long time, the call on the government to take the Maoists’ unilateral ceasefire positively and to reciprocate it was obvious.

Members of the civil society are suggesting that the ministers collectively quit office and pave the way for the king to call a political conference for resolving the ongoing conflict. Obviously, such a political conference could decide whether constituent assembly would be necessary. There is no option but to initiate dialogue with the political parties in order to find a peaceful solution to the problem. The sharp political polarisation and internationalisation of Nepal’s internal conflict may endanger the country’s future. It is clear that there is no alternative to multiparty democracy; the Maoists must join the system by giving up their rigid stand. In this context, the government should not ignore the voice of the parties. The parties should rectify their mistakes and the Council of Ministers should specify the date for elections not of the local bodies, but of the parliament to ensure the supremacy of the Constitution and the sovereignty of the people.

The people’s fundamental right to live a peaceful life has been dealt a severe blow by the ongoing violence. Pulling the country out of this unfavourable condition should be the top priority. The recent political developments have profoundly disturbed and touched the minds of the Nepalis, who hope that the political forces and the parties come forward to find a solution to the problem facing the country. As the nation is suffering from a serious crisis, no one should invite any more conflict between the constitutional monarchy and the political forces. The government should take the initiative to narrow the existing misunderstanding and find a compromise between the palace and the mainstream political parties. Indeed, the responsibility of bridging the gap between the parties and the monarchy lies with the government.

Chalise is executive editor, Gorkhapatra