As the country heads into another constitutional failure next week, it is tempting to join the chorus of outrage. The best thing said these days about the CA members is that they are lazy; otherwise, the epithets are much more derisive.

The anger manifests in the vitriol against political leaders of all parties on radio phone-in programs. It can be measured by public opinion polls, like the one conducted by Himalmedia last week. And it can be seen in street sit-ins and the spread of cyber activism on social networking sites. The response from politicians is more of the same lame excuses, tired rhetoric and empty slogans.

The majority of Nepalis seem to have given up on the constitution ever being drafted, or the peace process concluded. Their concerns are more mundane: they are fed up with the coalition governments since 2006 for having failed them miserably. There has been abject failure in the state's primary responsibility to protect its citizens and provide basic services. What rankles the people is not so much the political power struggle (they have come to regard that as a given) it is the never-ending shortages of power, fuel, water, jobs, passports, food.

It is tempting to write off governments, political parties and elected legislators. But what is the alternative? When the rhetoric gets so dismissive about the political process, there is a danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater and of it all degenerating into a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom. Naturally, there is much to complain and be cynical about, but look at it this way, at least there isn't a war going on. Our collective memory is short. We have forgotten that until five years ago, 300 Nepalis were being killed every month at the hands of fellow Nepalis.

The euphoria of the ceasefire and the people's movement has long worn off, however, to be replaced by terrible disillusionment. It may still be worthwhile to also reflect that we were perhaps being too ambitious that things would settle down so quickly, that the constitution would be a breeze, that the Maoists would be disarmed and demobilised, that we would have a national unity government, which would promptly and efficiently deliver the peace dividend.

As we are swept along by a public mood of resignation and despair, we should also ponder that however much we may want to wish away politicians, politics and parliament, there is no other way to do this. The only way is for civil society and media to keep them on their toes, and never let them forget the guiding values of democracy, pluralism and free press.

The CA has made progress on many elements of the constitution. Some of the more radical demands on state restructuring and federalism have been thrashed out in the chambers, and it may just as well that we need more time to let the extreme rhetoric cool down.

What is holding things up is the power struggle at the leadership level. As the largest party, as the only party with its own fighting force, and as the party that is forever saying one thing and doing another, the onus is on the Maoists to go the extra mile to earn the trust of the others.

On the other hand, the NC should not take the word "opposition" to mean they have to oppose everything coming from the coalition. There is no alternative to consensus, but there can be no compromise on non-violent democratic politics.

In the coming week, the leaders across the political spectrum must apologise to the people for having let them down. They must present a draft of the constitution to prove that they have not been flaking off, and set a concrete timetable for its completion. They must offer the public a work plan and timeline on the demobilisation of the Maoist army. Then, and only then, can they earn the right to extend the CA by six months.

It is now too late to be debating whether to extend the CA mandate or not. Politics abhors a vacuum, and we should avoid a void on 29 May.

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Anti-climax