What do you think of the country's situation now?

It shouldn't come as any surprise to our political leadership and elected representatives that the Nepali people are sick and tired of their inability to build on the success of the 2006 pro-democracy movement and move the peace process forward. Theresults of the Himalmedia poll in this issue prove just how widespread the disillusionment is, and it is accompanied by a gnawing fear that politicians have squandered the gains of the past four years and the country is headed back to conflict.

It should be a sobering reminder to our present rulers that when asked to name one personality who could lead the country to prosperity and peace, most respondents either didn't know or didn't say. And it should be shock therapy to NC and UML that when people do name leaders, the two who come out on top are both Maoists. Even though NC (as well as the Maoists and UML) does well in the response to the question on support for political parties, the combined poll votes for the three Kangresis vying for party leadership don't even reach double digits.

The large number of undecideds in this and previous polls underline the fact that the preoccupation of most Nepalis (survival, food, health, education, jobs) is not reflected in the obsession of our political leadership with power and its trappings. This survey represents the public opinion of the citizenry, and any political force that ignores public opinion for too long is headed for oblivion.

For the Maoists, too, the message is loud and clear. We support you mainly because we have no other choice, but we'd support you even more if you renounced violence and started behaving like a party for change that doesn't need to employ brutal methods. The people have rejected a return to monarchy or the ways of the past, so the Maoists are flogging a dead horse by stoking panic about counter-revolution. The vox populi is: join the other parties to agree on power-sharing and peace, stop intimidating and beating us up, help us raise our living standards and even more of us will vote for you. The Maoist khukuri-rattling and slogans in the run up to May Day have drowned out the people's voice. If they only stopped to listen to the people in whose name they fought a ruinous war, they might actually benefit.

The poll also indicates that an overwhelming number of Nepalis are hopeful about the future despite the feeling that corruption has got worse. Most people compare the present situation with the war years and see a vast improvement. Unlike most urban dwellers and the media, the people tend to see the bottle as half full.

It is now up to our politicians to honour this optimism and work to fulfil the Nepali people's hope for peace and prosperity.