When he took over last year, King Gyanendra gave himself three tasks: restore peace, control corruption and improve governance. If the king looks around beyond his circle of yes-men he will see he has failed on all three counts.

Even as a strategic move, February First was a colossal blunder. It stopped military assistance to his army, froze aid to his government, made him an international pariah and set off a republican wave at home. Instead of one enemy, the king now has at least three: the Maoists, the political parties and the international community. Instead of winning the parties over to his side, he has pushed them over to the Maoist fold. Some moderate royalists are now even wondering how to save the monarchy from the king. But others have given up and are considering a Plan B for post-monarchical Nepal. It is difficult to save someone who is so determined to self-destruct.

At every fork on the road in the past year when the king could have taken the right path, he has taken the wrong one. There is another crossroad coming up in a week's time: the traditional new year royal address to the nation. A message announcing general elections in 2063 without the main parties on board will be another monumental mistake. It is too late to reshuffle the cabinet to buy time, it is too late to recycle another prime minister, it is too late to call another pretend poll.

But it is still not too late for the king as supreme commander of the army to use his speech to declare a ceasefire, invite the seven party alliance for dialogue leading to either restoration of parliament or setting up of an all-party caretaker administration to pave the way for elections to amend the constitution.

We aren't saying anymore that the king should do this for the country's sake. This time, he must do it for himself out of enlightened self-interest for the continuation of his dynasty. Or else we may as well start considering Plan B.

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