Kathmandu: Government intends to take advantage of the current climate to clamp down on the excessive street activities that politics has preferred of late. The timely imposition of curfews and demonstrations of strength which helped to restore calm in the capital amidst a volatile climate of disbelief and shock must be cashed in upon by government too. The manner with which the government reacted to Yubaraj Ghimere, editor of Kantipur, regarding the much-talked about publication of a Maoist article is merely one manifestation. And so government must issue notices regarding the frequency of bundhs and street demonstrations.

In another manner government is preparing for the immediacy of the inevitable opposition activities that were sure to come. The House is to sit for its budget session. The opposition UML has yet to renege on its demand that the Prime Minister resign. The UML is publicly committed to respect its strategy paralyzing parliament. It is also committed along with seven of the other left parties to step up its street activities demanding the resignation. But after a three day continuous bundh?

The inevitability of politics taking its course is also manifest in the activities that had already begun regarding the elections to the Upper House. The UML has a majority there. The Congress has a majority in the Lower House and thus must erode the presence of UML in the Upper House. Already much give and take appears to have taken place between the Congress and the RPP and between UML and RPP raising serious questions on RPP candidacy. Also the ML which has no presence in the Lower House but is represented in the Upper House has a stake in continuing its presence now challenged by both the Congress and the UML.

The likelihood that these events will filter down to the streets given the environment of the stalemate in the parliament is high. The Prime Minister has demonstrated his unwillingness to resign as long as his majority in the parliament is intact. There is no indication that his hold over the Congress has weakened. Indeed, there are indications that the Prime Minister may have eroded the strength of his opposition within the Congress to the point that ensures that a no-confidence motion to be brought by the UML is now unable to materialize. The answer again points to the street for opposition activities. Girija babu finds the current climate of change suitable to prevent the opposition from taking to the streets.

If, then, paralysis in parliament is inevitable and the streets are to be closed down upon where is the outlet. It is here that public eyes turn to the Maoist opposition. It is not for nothing that the entry in Kathmandu of a sizable number of insurgents has been circulated in various sectors. The Maoist problem is then likely to be the catalyst in breaking the stalemate.