Innocent people once again face the threat of war after the government provoked the Maoists to resume fighting. Although the rebels are to be blamed for the breakdown of past ceasefires, the government is the culprit this time by not reciprocating their four-month unilateral ceasefire. It is clear that the palace is keen on finding a solution not through peaceful means but by the barrel of the army's guns. War-mongering ministers believe that the government can finish off the Maoists on the battlefield. Last Tuesday, Home Minister Kamal Thapa said: "Finally, the Maoists have returned to war." Such statements only prove that the government wants to leave the future in the hands of the army. The king pays little attention to concerns raised by the UN, European Union, US and India, confident that he can deflect the international community's calls to restore democratic governance. The political parties, even mainstream ones like the NC and UML have been gradually giving up on the palace and removing monarchy from their party charters. The government, on the other hand, has been doing everything to sustain regression by ensuring that municipal elections will take place even when the parties and foreign powers have said that they will not be democratic.