Let´s start with the good news: When the Maoists announced that they would bring hundred of thousands of people to encircle Singh Durbar, the first thing that came to many minds was this: Confrontation. People feared that such a protest would unmistakably invite clash between the cadres of the Maoists and the security forces. But the Maoists leadership showed maturity and wisdom since the beginning of the first round of protests and maintained complete restraint against going down the confrontational path. Music, dance, and fun soon became the hallmark of the protest programs launched by a party that fought an insurgency for over a decade not long ago. Such a spectacular display of disciplined and peaceful protests by its otherwise militant cadres is praiseworthy. We hope that this is the beginning of a long-term transformation of the Maoist party from war mentality to a culture of peace, and we welcome it.
As we praise Maoists for their peaceful first round of protests we are also concerned about their ultimatum and a possible second round of protest program. Maoist leaders have threatened of a general strike in the third round, which will send the political parties asunder and deepen the political crises. General strike is the last thing that this country needs at this juncture. We advise the Maoists not to resort to such a harsh measure without exhausting other options, including dialogue.
As the deadline to draft the constitution nears, this country cannot afford another round of protest by the largest party in the constituent assembly. The parties should begin from where they had left last time. A few weeks ago, at a dinner organized at UML´s leader KP Oli´s residence the parties had made a good start. They had discussed about their fears and concerns more candidly than ever, and had formed a three-member task force to find a common ground but the taskforce never met since after. The parties should direct their task force members to immediately sit with an open mind and with a resolution to find a common ground acceptable to all. The issues that the parties are fighting on aren´t too big; it´s their ego that´s stopping them from striking a deal.
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