KUNDA DIXIT

By this time next month, either way, the suspense will be over. But there are some damage control measures that need to be taken to prevent a dangerous political vacuum by midnight of the 27th. By then, the three main parties should have agreed to extend the CA's term, extend the deadline to write the constitution and start demobilising ex-fighters in the camps.

It's a tall order, but the about turn by Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal last week in which he rejected the "people's revolt" line, as the hardliners wanted, gives us reason to hope. One could argue that had Dahal agreed to this six months ago in Palungtar, he would have saved the country and his party a lot of bother. But at that time he did not dare antagonise the rank-and-file when he felt vulnerable to being outflanked by his deputy, Baburam Bhattarai.

Still, better late than never. There is really nothing else we can do but give the chairman the benefit of doubt. Dahal's biggest problem is that no one trusts him anymore. In fact, his inconsistency, unpredictability and irrational outbursts have become the butt of jokes even within his own party. Dahal needs people to trust him, and to do that he has to stick to do what he says and say what he does. The onus is on the Chairman to take the other parties along in this final hour, and to convince everyone that this time he really is committed to a democratic constitution and dropping violence as his party's core value. We don't need another trial balloon or political signal, we need concrete action on the peace process and constitution.

Public opinion is turning nasty. One just has to tune into the call-in programs on FM radios where the audience ridicules and reviles the political leadership of all the parties, the CA, and its members. Some of it is unfair, but there is no doubt that our elected leaders and representatives are all lumped together and the public's perception of them has never been as low as it is today. This is serious because it renders ineffective the very people and institutions entrusted with finding a way out. Politics is a mechanism of governance, and there is no other alternative.

At the launch of a biography of Girija Koirala last week, we saw on the stage three leaders: Baburam Bhattarai of the Maoists, Shekhar Koirala of the NC and Pradeep Gyawali of the UML. All three spoke logically and cogently about what needs to be done next to avert a crisis on 28 May:

• Forge a consensus government that includes both the Maoists and the NC that is based on mutual trust and a spirit of compromise
• Agree on a basic draft of a  broad-stroke constitution to be passed on 28 May
• Explain to the people why it    couldn't be finished in time and   say sorry
• Extend the CA term and commit to a strict deadline for completing the rest of the constitution

The audience was left wondering: why don't we hand the government over to these three gentlemen instead of their bosses in each of the parties?

Read also:
My Take: Federalising Nepal, DAMAKANT JAYSHI