The agreement on the political roadmap between the seven party alliance and the Maoists reached at midnight on Tuesday in Baluwatar has given Nepal a historic opportunity to take the country towards a modern democracy.

On surface level this agreement is only a political roadmap to steer Nepal towards a constituent assembly election. But it is the establishment of a constituent assembly that will decide Nepal's future. Then an emerging Nepal will depend on the victorious representatives of the people and the collective wisdom of the political parties.

The Maoist leadership has wisely chosen to cancel their planned mass gathering after realising that their strategy to pressurise Valley residents into giving their cadres food and shelter was not just unpopular but was also sparking resistance.

By signing the agreement the Maoists have consented to accept the wishes of the people. Now the other parliamentary parties also need to prepare a taskforce for progress and speed up the process of reform amongst themselves.

The responsibility of changing the country falls on the shoulders of the representatives of the people and the political parties, who must be willing to change, respect the voice of the masses, be democratic, transparent, and visionary.

The eight parties must now make it their chief responsibility to ensure a constituent assembly takes place. Unless the parties implement the agreement in action, the roadmap itself will remain unclear.