Quote from the last post: I'm beginning to think the elections will take place. They may - but not on 22nd November.
Having arranged to fly to Kathmandu on Tuesday (2nd October) to avoid the banda, it was called off as the government agreed to discuss the Maoists' issues (declare a republic before the elections to remove the King and have elections based only on proportional representation). The Election Committee also agreed to extend the deadline for parties to enter their lists of names for the proportional representation part of the election, because the Maoists were not ready. The following day the parties met, but could not come to any agreement. By Thursday it was clear there would be no agreement and the Election Committee was saying that Friday was 'the last chance'.
Friday was also the day of our annual security conference. Last year the meeting was interrupted when a sudden banda was called and people had to leave early so that they could get home. This year we were to be given a briefing on security during the election period, but this was replaced by a review of possible outcomes if the elections didn't take place
- at least everyone would be happy because they would be keeping their seats in parliamentary seats
- everyone outside KTM would continue to despise the government because they had worked for a change away from this closed little group in the capital
- supporters of the monarchy, such as high caste Hindus, may take a stand
- the army may join in
- there could be trouble if either the Nepal army or the PLA came out of barracks or cantonments as this would break the peace agreement
- the Maoists may go to the urban areas
- ethnic groups,particularly in the east may take the opportunity to continue pressing for an autonomous region
Saturday morning's paper said it all: Polls put off, blame game, speculation on The Election Committee had cancelled all programmes related to the election after receiving a letter from the government asking them to do so. Several of the seven parties disassociated themselves from a desire to call off the elections, the Nepali Congress (prime minister's party)blamed the Maoists and Prachanda said the elections could still go ahead if the Maoist proposals were accepted. At the moment (4 days later) it's still a question of wait and see. There is to be a special meeting of parliament on Thursday to discuss the Maoists' proposals, but for some reason they have said they will picket the parliament building. Dashain begins on Friday, so it is likely that everything will be on hold again, but then - how wrong can you be?
