Tanahun, May 6:

Minister for Peace and Reconstruction and Nepali Congress vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel today said his party had yet to decide on the issue of joining the new government.

Talking to journalists in Damauli, Minister Poudel said, “The NC has not decided over the issue of joining the new government, however, it is necessary to move ahead with agreement among the parties.”

“The ball is in the Maoists’ court. They should take necessary initiatives for forging consensus,” he said. Saying that the Maoists should forward the proposal of creating atmosphere of trust to the parties, he said, “I am not of the view that the NC has to join the government.”

He regretted that Maoists were not returning the seized land and property and halting the acts of issuing threats even after the constituent assembly polls. Due to this, the displaced people were still unable to return to their respective home, he added.

The Maoists must abstain from military acts before joining the new government, he said. “Transition of the Maoists was the need of an hour,” he said, urging the CPN-Maoist to dismantle its youth wing Young Communist League. “Atmosphere of trust will not be created until the Maoists dissolved their semi-military bodies at the earliest,” he said, adding that the parties were in final phase of the peace process.