A very recent survey in Nepal shows that the common people have no faith in the present political leaders of the Himalayan country. Nepalis don’t think that the present-day leaders can lead the country to prosperity and peace. The most striking finding of this year’s nationwide Himal media public opinion is that the people call for restoring the Hindu statehood of the culturally affluent country. More than half (52.2%) believe Nepal's Hindu statehood should be restored; this should be seen in light of the fact that 88.2% of respondents are Hindu.
During the survey, more than 5,000 respondents in 38 districts were asked which one public figure would be able to deliver prosperity, peace, and democracy. But nearly one third couldn’t think of any one or didn’t want to say. But those of who were pinpointed, Maoist leaders Pushpa Kamal Dahal (20.2%) and Baburam Bhattarai (14.7%) led the pack, with the rest in a long tail of single digits.
But the Nepali citizens reaffirmed their faith in Nepali Congress Party. The survey can be measured as a major set back for the Maoists. A whopping majority of the respondents felt that Maoists are the biggest obstacle to the peace process in Nepal. The opinion poll came out in a crucial stage when royalist parties have been calling for a referendum on monarchy and secularism.
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) won the largest number of seats in the Constituent Assembly election held on April 10, 2008, and formed a coalition government. The newly elected Assembly met in Katmandu on May 28, 2008, and, after a polling of 564 constituent Assembly members, 560 voted to form a new government, with the monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which had four members in the assembly, registering a dissent note. At that point, it was declared that Nepal had become a secular and inclusive democratic republic with the government announcing a three-day public holiday from May 28 to 30. The King was thereafter given 15 days to vacate the Narayanhiti Royal Palace, in order to re-open it as a public museum.
Nonetheless, political tensions and consequent power-sharing battles have continued in Nepal. In May 2009, the Maoist-led government was toppled and another coalition government with all major political parties barring the Maoists was formed. Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) was made the Prime Minister of the coalition government.
Ahead of Maoists’ massive protests to topple the coalition government in Nepal, hundreds of Maoist cadres, including combatants, have quit the party (April 30, 2010) due to differences with their top leaders' current policy. The defecting Maoists have joined Sanghiya Rastriya Lokatantrik Manch, an ethnic organization of Terai region led by Laxman Tharu. This is going to be a major crisis for the Maoists, particularly in the context of their May Day protest.
Dipin Damodharan is a working Journalist based in Kerala. He can be contacted at dipinbharath@gmail.com
Dipin Damodharan
April 30, 2010 
