The people of Nepal have surprised the world; perhaps even the Maoists had not expected to get such a resounding victory in the constituent assembly elections. Although the final results are yet to come, it is clear that the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has now an irreversible lead, indubitably so in the first-past-the-post seats, although the picture may become a little more varied in the proportional-representation ones. The Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), with whom the CPN(M) embarked on the people’s movement in 2006, have not done too well so far. Evidently, they have failed to hold the people’s confidence after their spell in the interim government, while the Maoists are being seen as possible agents of change. How much the fear of a return to days of bloodshed has worked in this choice will remain unfathomed. In any case, the agreed aim of the constituent assembly is to work in consensus for the formulation of a new constitution for a democratic republic. So the CPN(M) would have to work consensually with other parties even as the largest single party in the assembly.

This is a historic mandate, and not only because it finally renders monarchy irrelevant. The transformation of the Maoists from gun-wielding fighters into an elected party in the assembly is striking enough. But this could be achieved only after they promised to abandon arms two years ago. The people of Nepal have quietly turned away from both the violence of the Maoists and the tyranny of the palace, although the way for them has been full of suffering and death for more than a decade. It is now up to the Maoist leader, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, or Prachanda, and his party to demonstrate administrative ability and farsightedness. For that, rejecting violence and cooperating with the other parties would be primary, but not enough. One of the other tasks would be to address the aspirations of the people of the terai. Ethnic violence endangered the fragile peace of the last two years; it is a good omen that the new Madhesi parties have won seats in the assembly. Besides, the guerrillas who fought the Maoist war for more than ten years and the royal army that fought back both have to be given a completely different orientation. The way ahead is long and tough, but it would be tragic if a people of such resilience, hope and remarkable clarity of will were to be disappointed again.