The nature of the letters exchanged between His Majesty's government and the Maoist rebels is frightening. Their directness at laying blame can be interpreted both positively and negatively. Bhattarai's letter shows that the main grievance of the Maoists is against the government's attempt to win the hearts of the people through health camps. Meanwhile, the government is less than thrilled with the Maoists' continued 'donation' drives. The code of conduct has been violated by both sides and these issues have been raised before the negotiation teams in the absence of a monitoring mechanism. Even after six rounds of informal talks, these matters have not been resolved.

Negotiation is all about give and take-each party picks a weakness of the opponent and tries to build their strength on it. This is why the Maoists honed in on the much-contested point of limiting the army to 5km of their barracks. By pressuring the government on this point, the Maoists are making it apparent that they want a serious and decisive dialogue.

The focus now should be on the political agenda put forward by the Maoists and the government. However, the crux lies in whether the present government has the power to make decisions and execute them. If the king participates in the talks as the Maoists demand, he will be stepping outside his constitutional boundaries. This will be unacceptable to the Maoists themselves, and the other political parties too.

The present government is ready for an interim government like the Maoists demand, but they are not likely to let the rebels lead it. The other Maoist demand for proportional representation of all sections in the new government structure is acceptable, but a constituent assembly might draw controversy because the agitating political parties believe amendments to the present constitution will suffice. The government, however, may suggest a referendum.

But the rebels have made some impractical demands that they need to abandon. They must lay down their arms if they wish to enter mainstream politics. Then comes the issue of guerrillas-the peace talks must decide how the rebel army can be assimilated into national life in a way acceptable to everyone.

Including the political parties is crucial. They are still divided between reinstating the parliament and an interim government. Some constitutional experts say the present prime minister can reinstate the parliament since it was dissolved on the recommendation of a former prime minister. The king could also initiate a revival by executing Article 127. A referendum can make a decision on the remaining issues. At the end of the day, one thing is certain: there are no quick-fix solutions.