Kathmandu, March 10:

Deputy Prime Minister Amik Sherchan today claimed that the interim government could be formed by Tuesday, thus trying to ward off confusion over the fate of an interim administration including the Maoists.

“Nothing can stop the formation of the interim government by Tuesday. This will settle many issues once and for all,” Sherchan said while speaking at a function in the capital today.

He claimed that the induction of the Maoists into the interim administration will be finalised by the all party meeting to be held shortly.

Sherchan, who has been time and again promising early formation of the interim government, alleged that “royalists” were now bent on setting off explosions in the city just as they did in 1986 to disrupt the satyagraha movement.

He also insisted that the amendment in the interim constitution has addressed the demands pressed by the Madhesi community.

“The interim constitution has been amended as demanded by the Tarai people. Now the government will be acting tough on the demonstrations if they are held,” Sherchan further said.

Speaking at the same venue, Maoist leader Dina Nath Sharma came down heavily on the US ambassador James F Moriarty and said that the latter was trying to stall the election to constituent assembly by raising controversies like “improving behaviour.”

He also poked fun at the seven-party alliance leaders for their failures during the 12 years after 1990 and said that it was ridiculous for them to to tell the Maoists to improve their behaviour.

Referring to the people whom the Nepali Congress (NC) leadership is pointing out as displaced from villages by the Maoists, Sharma said that “perhaps they are referring to those who do not want to go back.”

He also alleged that a section of seven-party alliance was trying to stop Maoists from joining the government.

He also ruled out prospects of Maoists returning property to the rightful owner saying “whatever property has been taken hold of has been done by the landless people.” He stressed the need to fund the repair of over 3000 private houses in remote villages across mid hills “which were damaged by the security forces in the past”.