Will the dialogue bear fruit?

The entire nation earnestly hopes that the planned dialogue between the ruling and opposition alliances, slated to be held on Wednesday, will be successful in minimising their differences. If the dialogue succeeds, and both sides reach some sort of an agreement over the kind of governing structure that would supervise the polling process, it will be a significant step forward. If the dialogue fails, however, the country risks getting plunged into chaos and violence.

While both sides need to decide on a compromise, the government's mere assurance that it would hold fair elections isn't enough. The ruling party is asking other political parties to “trust” it with organising the polls. But if past records are any indication, such promises turn out to be false. The governing party must agree to a constructive formula so that it can't interfere with the polling process even if it wants to. We cannot rely on mere assurances. The opposition alliance, on the other hand, should not be insistent on unreasonable demands. Its demands must be realistic, practical and reasonable.