PM fails to give full shape to the cabinet even after the latest expansion

All newly-appointed ministers take oath of office and secrecy on Friday

KATHMANDU, April 1: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has failed to give full shape to his cabinet as differences surfaced within the coalition partners over the ministerial names.

Although Prime Minister Dahal had allocated eight ministerial portfolios to the party, the NC failed to give the names of four ministerial candidates after the rival faction within the party rejected giving names if they were not given at least three ministries. The prime minister appointed only four ministers from the NC on Friday.

In addition to four ministers from the NC, Prime Minister Dahal appointed two ministers from CPN (Unified Socialist) and one each from CPN (Maoist Center), Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) and Nepal Samajbadi Party on Friday.

With this Prime Minister Dahal has 17 members including a state minister in his cabinet. As per the existing constitutional provisions, Prime Minister Dahal can have eight more members in his cabinet. While NC and JSP have failed to give the name of ministers from their respective parties, sources said Prime Minister Dahal is optimistic that Rabi Lamichhane-led Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) will join the government after the by-election scheduled for April 23 is over.

In the latest appointments in the cabinet, NC Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka has been appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister while Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat has been appointed as Minister of Finance. Similarly, Ramesh Rijal has been appointed as Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply and Sita Gurung as a Minister of Urban Development from the NC.

Similarly, Ashok Rai has been appointed as Minister for Education, Science and Technology on the recommendation of JSP. Prime Minister Dahal has inducted Deputy General Secretary of the Maoist Center Shakti Basnet as Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation in his cabinet.

Likewise, Beduram Bhusal, who is Vice Chairman of the Unified Socialist Party, has been appointed as the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development, and the party’s Deputy General Secretary Prakash Jwala has been appointed as the Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.

President Ramchandra Poudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly-appointed ministers at a special ceremony held at Shital Niwas on Friday.

Meanwhile, the ministerial portfolio of Deputy Prime Minister Narayankaji Shrestha's ministry has been changed. He has been appointed as Deputy Prime Minister along with the home ministerial portfolio. Shrestha was earlier appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Physical Infrastructure.

Here is the full list of Dahal-led cabinet

Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prime Minister (Ministry of Law, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Forest and Environment, Ministry of Youths and Sports, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Water Supply)