Nepal, Nov. 16 -- A couple of months have passed since Prime Minister Sushila Karki assumed office on September 12. Tasked with a mandate of holding federal elections within six months, the clock is ticking for her. She has a tough job ahead. Besides the time constraints, she needs to make sure the environment is top-notch and secure for candidates to canvass voters and for voters to go to the polling booths. Police morale is low, and early signs are that the KP Oli-led Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) is not in a mood to contest the elections. Questions are being raised in various circles if elections will be held at all, with some hoping the dissolved House of Representatives gets reinstated. This will be suicidal.

P...