It is a demonstration of political farsightedness on the part of the Prime Minister to have accepted the proposal of the Oikyafront for a dialogue. Coming against the background of statements from some party high-ups discounting any possibility of talks between the AL and the opposition, it is a very encouraging development. This a good start and we hope the opportunity will be seized upon to iron out and resolve certain thorny issues surrounding holding of the parliamentary elections. We have high expectations and would hope that both the parties would focus on the main point at issue, i.e. how to hold elections that are acceptable to all the political parties, as well as the general people.

To ensure that this meeting does not turn into a futile exercise, both the parties should display a flexible position in the discussions. There are some genuine concerns of both the opposition and the voters about the elections being free and fair. And the ruling party should allay those. The opposition too must not be rigid in their demands. Also, public perception regarding the role of the EC, and its ability to perform its tasks without let or hindrance have been much talked about, and should be addressed by the ruling party.

We understand that these issues cannot all be resolved during a one-off meeting. But dialogue cannot go on ad infinitum. Thus, we hope that both the parties would utilise the opportunity on November 1 to decide to create a mechanism of time-bound dialogue that would create a way to accommodate all the reasonable demands of the political parties contesting the upcoming elections, which can help ensure that the elections remain free, fair and credible.