The weekly nepalnews.com-Nepali Times opinion poll, despite voting on the internet, has a fairly accurate correlation with past nationwide polls. Results in the past month show that the Nepali public is fully behind pluralism and democracy, they reject Maoist violence, threats and extortion, and that they are impatient with the pace of the peace process.

But this week, nearly six months after the April Uprising, they have for the first time turned pessimistic about the chances of a return to peace. More than 57 percent of the 4,455 who voted believe the ceasefire wouldn't last beyond Tihar.

Part of the reason for this is the public perception that the seven-party government is lost in its usual bickering. The other part is that they believe the Maoists have no intention of staying the peace course.

To a certain extent disagreements are usual, even necessary, in a democracy. But the parties' lack of credibility is their biggest drawback. It doesn't help that the biggest whiner of them all, Madhab Nepal, keeps threatening to quit the seven-party alliance. Parliament passing radical laws is all very fine but that doesn't make a big, immediate difference in the lives of desperate people.

Never before have we seen the kind of lawlessness and anarchy that we see today. On any given day there are strikes, road blockages, and sit-ins by up to a dozen different groups. Rebels or other shady outfits either block the main highways, or improvise illegal toll collection. The state doesn't exist, and it has become a free-for-all.

As for the Maoists, it is clear the comrades now have no regard, or need, for public opinion. They are taking full advantage of the disarray of the government and forcing high school children and hotel workers to join their rallies, and they seem all set for a Lenin-style power grab. Tyre-burning over cooked-up reasons, as happened this week shows just how easy it is for them to bring the capital to a standstill. It's a small step from that to storming Singha Darbar.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal has been all over the media this week promising not to "go back to the jungle". He doesn't have to. The rebel strategy now is to concentrate on the urban jungle. A stage-managed People Power III will be much more effective.

The planned meeting between Chairman Dahal and Prime Minister Koirala is a last chance to sort this one out. It is time for the seven parties to recognise this challenge to their legitimacy and unite against a threatened totalitarian takeover.