Monday´s meeting at the Prime Minister´s office in Singha Durbar, attended by key leaders of the top three parties, and a candid review of what went wrong during the last two weeks since the signing of the deal have raised hopes that the parties will implement the deal in earnest. But that just remains a hope as challenges abound.
The major challenges in implementing the 7-point deal, ironically, lie within the UCPN(M), the main stakeholder of the peace process and also the party that leads the government. The intra-party dispute is just one dimension of this problem. The Baidya group has always remained opposed to completing the peace process; therefore, its resistance is both anticipated and understandable.
But it´s the simmering suspicions between Prime Minister Bhattarai and UCPN(M) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal that´s less anticipated and could prove to be more detrimental to the peace process, to the government and to the Maoist party itself. Prime Minister Bhattarai and Maoist Chairman Dahal share a love-hate relationship. Both of them seem convinced that concluding the peace process and writing the constitution is the best way forward for the party and the country.
But one also sees the other as an arc-rival when it comes to power. The Bhattarai camp suspects that Dahal has once again reached out to the Baidya faction to oust him from power and is quietly holding the peace process from moving ahead swiftly. Many Baluwatar insiders concede that Prime Minister Bhattarai expanded his cabinet in desperation, making it the largest-ever in Nepal´s history, so that many more lawmakers would feel a stake in this government.
Bhattarai and Dahal must reach out to each other for a frank discussion and the sooner they realize that their best interest lies in the successful conclusion of the peace process and constitution writing the better it is. Otherwise, both of them will be discredited.
Another key challenge lies in providing the combatants in the cantonments with correct information and helping them reach a decision that is best for their lives. But the Maoist leadership isn´t doing a good job on this issue either. When Maoist commanders met Dahal and Bhattarai they were hardly given the full truth; instead, the leadership has tried to evade their questions, even lied to them.
For instance, the commanders have sought clarity regarding whether their current educational qualifications will be considered during integration or the ones they had when they joined the PLA. The 7-point agreement clearly says that the educational qualifications at the time of joining the PLA will be considered but the Maoist leadership has assured combatants of considering their current educational level.
Other parties and the Nepal Army have already rejected such a possibility. The combatants are important stakeholders of the peace process and they should be provided with full truth and all information so that they can take an informed decision; otherwise, the peace process could face a backlash from the cantonments.
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