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Martin's job is to monitor the collection of arms held by the army and the Maoists, and to help with election plans for the new assembly that will write a new Constitution. The concept of an elected assembly remains little more than a slogan. Now the Electoral Commission says it cannot prepare an election in time for June 20, the date set for the election.
The Maoists are strengthening their position now they have moved into the cities. On May 1 they threatened to hold protests if Nepal is not declared a republic, instead of a monarchy, ahead of the election. There is a rumor that they plan to call a national strike for seven days.
In the meantime, violent clashes continue between Maoist students and the members of various political parties. The Maoists have not given up violence as a means to power.
The worst news is that violence against women and children continues. Every day there are reports about violence, rape and human trafficking. The situation in Nepal remains as bad as it was during the 10 years of the Maoist war.
The Maoists have not allowed the United Nations to conduct investigations at their camps to search for child soldiers - they are holding out for better conditions at the camps and also for the government to pay their soldiers.
During the fighting, village women were often forcefully taken away for days and weeks by the Maoists, who made them attend indoctrination programs and then sent them back to their homes. Many of these women face social stigma. General lawlessness has also increased the number of rapes in Nepali society as a whole, as the attention of police is diverted to ethnic and Maoist violence, and they have tended to ignore civil crimes.
Nepali women are apprehensive that now even those in the "secure" urban centers may face the kind of suffering those in the villages endured over the past 10 years. Rising prices, transport disruptions, the closure of markets and schools and rising unemployment are all threats they face, as well as a rising crime rate.
A strong political will and determination to address the Maoist and ethnic problems are required for peace to be restored. People are disenchanted by the country's violent politics. They have lost interest in conceptual and theoretical semantics, and they can see through the advocates of various ideologies.
Democracy, liberty and human rights are important ideas, but they can only be achieved through practical measures: building a prosperous economy, improving education and healthcare, empowering women, and focusing on development, to enhance the overall quality of life.
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(Nepali journalist and writer Kamala Sarup is editor of peacejournalism.com and the author of several works on women's issues as well as two story collections.)
