B K Shrestha seems to be actively involved in the publicity campaign supporting the present regime ('Rock and hard place', #269) and defaming the political parties and blaming civil society. Wonder who the elections are for: definitely not for the people because they are just pawns in this power tussle. It's not holding the elections that is the problem, it is whether they will be meaningful given the present situation. Mr Shrestha seems to think that the security forces are in a strong position to conduct free and fair elections which is doubtful. And now with the media ordinance, there will be a limitation on the presentation of facts. What happened to Kantipur is just a hint of things to come. Mr Shrestha also had a go at Indian leaders for supporting Nepal's democracy and not raising the issue of the lack of democracy in Bhutan. So, anybody who supports the cause of democracy is unpatriotic in the view of our guest columnist as well as the state. What both forget is that when the VHP leader came to Nepal and praised the king for his boldstep, that was ok. I don't remember anyone showing him a black flag. It showed how the state can be biased in diplomacy and set the wrong precedent. The present regime just wants the people to return to the same dark age when a few were worshipped as gods by the rest.

Pramod Bhagat,
New Baneswor

. The new media ordinance and attack on Kantipur FM proved that the present government wants to supress the press freedom guaranteed by the constitution ('Press under pressure', #270). The regime doesn't respect the minimum legal standards and the principle of natural justice so we can say that now in Nepal there is no rule of law and democracy. So it is the duty of every freedom fighter to support the FNJ agitation for press freedom and democracy.

Anchan Bhattarai,
Sindhuli

. Peace in Nepal is not possible without every political force embracing certain values whether they are kings, revolutionaries or politicians. At the end of the day, everyone is a Nepali and we all need to share the same land with a hopeful future. This checklist may help:

Maoists:
- Must give up violence and join the mainstream
- Must prove to Nepalis they are interested in building and not destroying
- Must acknowledge that destroying other political forces with violence is not a winning approach.

Democratic Parties:
- Must display true democratic values-its about empowering the people not their leaders
- Must not yield to the interests of foreign nations

Monarchy:
- The king can get genuine respect only if the people trust him
- In this day and age that means not hankering for more power with Panchayat-like gimmicks but offering true devolution

D Mahat,
email

. I couldn't agree more with Dr Narayan B Thapa's balanced analysis of the country's present crisis ('Still silent majroity', #270). The parties have not only not apologised to the Nepali people for letting them down, they have not shown that they have reformed in any way and when the king offers them a chance to renew their mandate they reject it. This kind of negativism will get us nowhere. Why don't the parties start looking for solutions instead of being an obstacle all the time?

J B Thapa,
email

. Narayan B Thapa hit the nail on the head. Successful elections are the best bet to move Nepal out of the deadlock it's been caught in for years. Those who seek to mould the fate of the nation need to go to the people to find out what it is we seek. Only with our mandate will they earn the right to make drastic changes to our polity. It's time to stop sloganeering about 'people's sovereignty' and start practicing it instead by contesting the elections. As Dr Thapa says, it makes sense to demand certain conditions for free and fair elections but to boycott them outright is sheer stupidity and utter irresponsibility. As for those among us who are 'egging' on the political parties in their recalcitrant line (namely the civil society movement and the media) they need to carefully consider what their support is meant to achieve. In the continuing political struggle, our aim should be the victory of parliament over the palace not that of political parties over the palace. Let us make this distinction carefully and move forward boldly in favour of what's best for the people of the country. As responsible citizens, we should encourage the parties to take a leading role in ensuring the success of the elections not boycotting them.

Abhishek Basnyat,
Washington DC

. CK Lal is probably the only Nepali journalist who remembered the passing away of Rosa Parks ('The end of imagination', #270). He quotes Martin Luther King's famous lines about Mrs Parks: '...eventually the cup of endurance runs over and the human personality cries out, "I can take it no longer".' Was it a concidence that in the same issue (#270) you have one of the architects of Nepal's democratic spring in 1990 saying: "How long can we go on?"

Sam Irving,
Kathmandu

. Congratulations to Devendra Raj Panday for calling a spade a spade and to you for having the courage to print his interview ('How long can we go on?', #270) in these uncertain times for the media. It is clear that there is still time for the king to show statesmanship and voluntarily devolve his powers. Because if he doesn't, that power may be taken away from him sooner than he realises.

Jit Ghimirey,
email