The likelihood of the Maoists calling off the protests is virtually non-existent because it is highly unlikely the government will agree to the Maoist demand as “restoration of civilian supremacy” in Maoist lingo means the replacement of the incumbent government with a national unity government led by them. It’s hard to imagine that the current coalition will suddenly display such magnanimity toward the Maoists.
Once the second phase of their protests ends in two weeks (in the first phase that concluded before Dashain, Maoist cadres waved black flags at functions attended by the president, prime minister and ministers), it will be followed by the third phase, which will comprise of, among other things, general strikes.
It means food prices are going to go up even more, adding further misery to the common man’s life; it also means that Nepalis will once again struggle to get access to basic needs such as healthcare; it also means that they will once again have to endure shortages of fuel and gas. However hard the Maoist leadership tries to project the protests as merely publicity-oriented, from what we have observed and witnessed in the past, it is impossible to believe that their protests won’t hurt Nepalis. It’s ironic that while Nepalis suffer, the Maoists and their cadres will be fighting for “civilian supremacy”, a term that is nothing short of Greek to most Nepalis.
We urge the Maoists and the other political parties, like we have done so many times in the past in this space, to find a common ground, end the political deadlock and work together to write a new constitution. If the goals of the parties at the two sides of the political divide are indeed to draft the constitution and hold elections, with a little bit of effort, hard work and flexibility, we believe that it is still possible. Most importantly, Nepalis should not be made hostages in this game of political one-upmanship. They have suffered enough and they deserve better.
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