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Journalism of Courage
The defeated Maoists should,for their own interest,accept the results of Nepals election.
As results pour in,Nepal must be congratulated for successfully holding its second election to a Constituent Assembly CA since April 2008. The sense of relief in Kathmandu and among international observers owes to the fact that this election,postponed since November 2012,was held against all odds. The backdrop to the November 19 polls has been years of misgovernance,political chaos and a constitutional vacuum. Since the democratic transition of 2006,Nepal has had six prime ministers one from the Nepali Congress,two from the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist UCPN-M,two from the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist CPN-UML and,finally,the chief justice himself. Public faith in the ability of the old CA and its constituent parties to deliver a constitution for the newly created Nepali republic May 2008 had steadily eroded proved right when the CA failed to write the constitution and this popular cynicism was visible in the run-up to these polls,let alone the threat of violence from non-participants,particularly the breakaway Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist. That the election went ahead nevertheless,with a more than 70 per cent turnout,is a significant achievement.
Nevertheless,those likely to get the largest numbers the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML should not be dismissive of allegations against the polling process. New Delhi was instrumental in bringing the Maoists into democratic politics,it must now make an effort to make them see reason. It must then engage with Kathmandus new dispensation to help with unfinished business.
