Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) announced on Monday that it would assess the pros and cons before joining the government.
The central committee meeting of the party held in Kathmandu on Monday took the decision. The meeting also decided to organize a joint meeting of its central and parliamentary committees on Wednesday to deliberate on whether to join the government.
“In the joint meeting, party members will discuss and weigh the prospects of joining the government,” Mukukl Dhakal, the RSP spokesperson, said after the meeting. Dhakal claimed that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was positive about offering RSP the same ministries it was holding before it decided to quit the government. He said that the PM informed party President Rabi Lamichhane that the government would also implement the RSP’s policies and programs.
“We will not join the government if we are not given the ministries we held earlier. Additionally, we will only join the government if there is an assurance of our policies and programs being implemented,” he added.
The RSP had three ministers and one minister of state in the government before it decided to quit the coalition government.
The party decided to withdraw from the government after the Supreme Court ruled that its President, Rabi Lamichhane, was ineligible to hold public office. The court found that Lamichhane had not reacquired Nepali citizenship, which he relinquished to obtain US citizenship.
