Renounce violence

SAM KANG LI

The constituent assembly election is the real test that the CPN-Maoist will have to pass after abandoning armed struggle and joining mainstream politics. The Maoists have got due credit for their contribution in steering the country towards this election, but the Nepali people will scrutinise every move they make as they are new in competitive politics.

This election is not a general election. Because it is about writing our constitution, the very future, hopes and aspirations of the country are pinned on it. It is not about a single party winning or losing, and no party should think that if they win a majority they can run the country according to their party manifesto. The prime minister and the speaker have both stressed the need for cooperation while the constitution is being written. This cooperation is also a test to see if the parties can work together in the future.

As election campaigning intensifies, it is clear that Maoists are slowly losing hope. The party was trying to actively promote a left alliance, but since that failed they are beginning to feel helpless. They have been beating, torturing and threatening all over Nepal. This is against both the terms set down by the election commission, and the entire election process.

Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal told reporters last week that his party workers only understand the language of bullets and requested that the media be sensitive while trying to report on them. Never have the Nepali people been so much against the language of the bullet, and when bullets are not limited to just language then it's an even bigger problem. No one will support a party whose central policies are at odds with what's actually happening in the districts around the country.