In or Out

Yesterday, the Maoists resigned from the interim government here in Nepal in a move being called the biggest set back for the peace process since they declared an end to 10 years of fighting last year. It’s now just two months before the Constituent Assembly elections are due to be held and this throws serious doubts over the already shadowy hopes that they’ll go ahead as scheduled.

The Maoists’ pull out hasn’t come as much of a surprise to the people of Nepal. They have just made good on a threat issued a month ago along with a 22 point list of demands to be agreed by September 18. The other government factions agreed to all of the demands but two – they refused to replace Nepal’s monarchy with a republic before elections are held and they rejected using a proportionate voting system in the elections. This response was also expected, and accordingly the Maoist rhetoric had escalated over the last week with heated comments to the papers and a fresh outbreak of slogan graffiti, which is now painted across almost every spare wall in Kathmandu and even on the roads at intersections.

The Maoist leadership says their protest campaign will be peaceful. But it seems the general populous, who all lost family and friends and finances during the civil war and don’t have a great deal of faith in the speech-makers – a factor with obvious implications for the Maoists’ election campaign and which no doubt influenced the recent decision making - aren’t quite sure whether to buy that. When we got home last night, our landlord was at a neighbourhood meeting to discuss an alert system in case there’s trouble. A friend cancelled our dinner plans because of the possibility of a general strike. Contacts in the UN told of late night emergency meetings. Perhaps the protest action will be peaceful, but Nepal is waiting to see.