When KP Sharma Oli first became the prime minis­ter at the end of 2015, he inherited a country that was in a state of virtual lockdown from the border blockade. It is to his credit that he was able to pass a constitu­tional amendment to end it. He must also be lauded for bringing a semblance of balance in the country’s relations with its two neighbors. But his nine months in office also were marked by the same degree of crony­ism, corruption and impunity as the reigns of any of his immediate predecessors. He, as prime minister, could also have shown more sensitivity in his messaging to the marginalized communities, Madhesis especially.

As he is set to be prime minister again, in as early as a couple of weeks, a different set of challenges await Oli. He will be the first prime minister after the implemen­tation of the federal setup. It will be up to him to guide Nepal through this tricky transition to a full-fledged federal set-up. With the left alliance forming government at the cen­ter, as well as six of the seven provinces, Oli will have the mandate to lay a strong foundation for a peaceful and prosperous federal Nepal.

This is why it is vital that the merger between UML and Maoist party happens early, preferably before the formation of the new government. If the two parties unite now, it will all but guarantee that the country will have a stable government for the next five years.

If not, people will not be assured that the kind of tasteless politicking that has been in display since the 1990 political changes—whereby, on average, govern­ments came and went every nine months—won’t again bedevil Nepal. And if that happens, Nepal’s develop­ment prospects and its quest to graduate from the group of LDCs in the foreseeable future will remain unfulfilled. This is why, the Maoists, as the junior part­ner in the ongoing merger talks, need to be reasonable in their demand for portfolios in the new party. But as the senior leader in the left alliance, and for the sake of the country he professes to love, Oli should not hesi­tate to make significant concessions as well.