Nepal, Feb. 23 -- From Tulsipur to Sunsari to Rautahat, political parties and cadres alike have traded the ballot for the bludgeon, creating a climate of fear that threatens to derail the electoral process. The violence displayed by party cadres over the last few days is an affront to the constitution and a direct assault on the rights of the Nepali voter.

The disgraceful events in Tulsipur serve as a grim reminder of the escalating madness. When supporters of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) took it upon themselves to burn a flag bearing the CPN-UML's sun symbol, they didn't just burn a piece of cloth but torched the very fabric of political tolerance. The subsequent retaliation-the burning of effigies of RSP President Rabi Lamichhane...