The Maoist protests over the government’s nomination of ambassadors to 14 world capitals without consulting them have subsided, as the Maoists withdrew their further protest programme. On Sunday, a delegation of Maoists, including their chairman Prachanda, met PM Girija Prasad Koirala, with the latter urging the former not to do anything to “disturb” the peace process — the re-establishment of the police posts and “work of concern” to the people — warning of the possibility of delay in the constituent assembly (CA) polls if “obstructions” continued. Besides, Koirala is reported to have said that he will not reverse the nomination of the ambassadors but that he is “ready for adjustment”, probably meaning that Maoists could have the appointments to four remaining capitals. Koirala’s assurance of future consultation on appointments but his refusal to rectify the mistakes give the impression that the decisions were meant to be a fait accompli days before the interim order was to be ushered in. But, once the interim constitution takes effect, and the interim government and parliament are formed, the misunderstanding is expected to dissolve without having any impact on the peace process.

However, the Maoists stressed the immediate promulgation of the Interim Constitution (IC) and formation of an interim government to ensure the CA polls by June next year, a commitment that Koirala reiterated. The Maoists stuck to their stance that the process of the CA polls cannot move forward without IC, as Dr Baburam Bhattarai, the Maoists’ second-in-command, said it was the “question of central importance”, the other things were “mere excuses”. As against Koirala’s stand, the Maoists are reported to have told him that the police posts and return of VDC secretaries will follow IC. There is no doubt about the importance of these things, but in the current context they are far less important than the interim constitution because further progress on the entire peace process depends on IC.

Even the hands of the Election Commission are tied because of the delay in IC, as it is unable to start the electoral process — for instance, updating the voters’ list — for lack of an amendment to the electoral laws — at least five, as chief election commissioner Bhoj Raj Ghimire admitted on Sunday. Though the Comprehensive Peace Agreement has been signed, IC is ready, and the Maoist combatants are now in their temporary cantonments, yet insistence on the linkup between promulgation and the start of the arms management process is delaying things. This problem, too, now seems to be nearing resolution, with former Gurkha soldiers, who are now being recruited, and the first batch of UN monitors, reported to arrive next week, set to start their monitoring work, probably next week. Koirala’s compulsion about the linkup is understandable, as it seeks to appease some of Nepal’s foreign friends. As the intervening period is short, both sides should wait till then without indulging in mutual recriminations.