Setting the stalemate

Enduring the absence of a prime minister through two months and five attempts at reaching a consensus and electing one,Nepals political arena is the embodiment of chaos and,more dangerously,of uncertainty. Madhav Nepal continues as caretaker PM while Nepals big three the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists UCPN-M,the Nepali Congress NC and the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist CPN-UML have been at loggerheads,with the Maoists and the NC not willing to cede an inch on electing a PM. Last Saturdays meeting,at the initiative of President Rambaran Yadav,sought to work its way towards the eluding consensus and,spectacularly,failed. Meanwhile,the constituent assembly despite its new extension to present a democratic,republican,secular and federal constitution looks increasingly delegitimised in the eyes of the people.

Every political entity in Nepal is fighting every other,and there are reports and allegations of the Maoists warming up to the pro-monarchy parties whose focused agenda is the restoration of the deposed monarchy and the jettisoning of the mandate for a secular constitution. Circulating insinuations in Kathmandu about outside support favouring one agenda or another only adds fuel to the flame. Although the likelihood of a return to armed conflict may be remote,Nepals everyday problems include high inflation,unemployment,prolonged power outages,lack of potable water and the constant threat of shutdown. Law and order,under prevailing circumstances,doesnt need a guess,especially in the troubled areas in the south.

India would like nothing better than a secure democratic future for Nepal,and New Delhi must urge the continuation of efforts at consensus,no matter how fraught. Somebody,or everybody,will have to compromise,and soon. The long-term interests of the Nepalese people need the simultaneous work of the constituent assembly to proceed and ensure that the next popular election takes place under a constitutional framework.