BIRATNAGAR: Minister for Local Development Purna Kumar Sherma today said all the vacant posts of the VDC secretaries would be fulfilled within a month.

Expressing the government's seriousness on the problems facing the secretaries, he said, "The ministry is preparing to solve their problems permanently.'' He said the VDC secretaries should be empowered for decentralisation of power. "The local bodies will be run through a political mechanism for the time being,'' he added.

Meanwhile, Sherma said the Unified CPN-Maoist would be unable to form a government in their leadership, challenging the former rebels to form a parallel government if they wished.

Citing that the UML-led coalition government had been formed by the support of 22 parties, he claimed it to be a national unity government. He said there was no standard definition of a consensus government.

Sherma said the Maoists could lead a government only if they were supported by a majority of the parties in parliament.