UML fails to name ministers

KATHMANDU, March 17: Much to Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal´s dismay, the Standing Committee meeting of the ruling CPN-UML on Thursday failed to nominate new ministers from the party.



The embattled prime minister has not been able to give full shape to his cabinet even one-and-a-half month after being elected to the post.[break]



The factional disputes within the UCPN (Maoist), the largest party in the coalition, and also within the UML have halted the overdue process of cabinet expansion. Besides, the two largest coalition partners have also locked horns over the home ministry.



In the aftermath of the party´s failure to nominate new ministers, Khanal on Thursday distributed the responsibilities of running important ministries among the incumbent ministers until the other parties nominate new ministers.



According to prime minister´s press advisor Surya Thapa, the prime minister has handed over the ministry of commerce and industry to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Bharat Mohan Adhikari.



Similarly, Minister for Defense Bishnu Poudel will oversee the ministry of general administration, ministry of environment, and ministry of forest and soil conservation, while the Minister for Education Ganga Lal Tuladhar will take charge of the ministry of local development, ministry of CA affairs and ministry of science and technology. The ministry of home would remain with the prime minister.



The UML meeting on Thursday formed a five-member talks team instead, with the mandate to hold dialogues with other parties on power-sharing.



The talks team, headed by Madhav Kumar Nepal, comprises KP Sharma Oli, Bamdev Gautam, Ashok Rai and Ishwar Pokharel.



“The team will hold talks with the Nepali Congress (NC), the UCPN (Maoist), Madhes-based and other parties,” UML Secretary Shankar Pokharel told Republica.

Earlier, the prime minister himself headed the party´s talks team, replacing Oli from that position.



The prime minister needs to nominate five more ministers from his party to expand the current eight-member cabinet.



The UML and the Maoists are yet to settle disputes over the home ministry. While the Maoists have been staking their claim over the home portfolio, UML faction led by Nepal and Oli are dead against allowing them to head the security-related ministries.



Among other small political parties, Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (MPRF) and Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party-Nepal are likely to join the government.

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