MIN RATNA BAJRACHARYA THUNDERBOLT: The first major storm of the season lights up the sky behind the Taleju temple in Kathmandu as the Seto Machendranath chariot festival got underway this week.

For the first time in a long while there is a sense that the political parties are finally focusing their minds on the urgency of peace and constitution. Barring last minute hitches, the cantonments and weapons containers will be handed over to the army by 12 April, there is now a real chance the remaining issues on the constitution can be sorted out. But after coming all this way, and in a hurry to meet the 27 May deadline, we shouldn't adopt an authoritarian constitution.