LUMBINI, JULY 24

Newly-appointed Chief Minister of the Lumbini provincial government, Chet Narayan Acharya, has taken the oath of office and secrecy today.

Province Chief Amik Sherchan administered the oath of office and secrecy to Acharya in accordance with Article 172 of the Constitution of Nepal. The Province Chief had on Monday appointed Acharya, the Deputy Leader of the CPN (UML) Province Assembly parliamentary party, to the post of Chief Minister in accordance with Article 168, Sub-Article 2 of the Constitution of Nepal.

Acharya, who has become the sixth Chief Minister of Lumbini Province, commands the support of 56 legislators, including 29 CPN (UML) legislators and 27 Nepali Congress legislators.

Also today, Province Chief Sherchan administered the oath of office and secrecy to eight ministers without portfolio in line with the Article 168, Sub-Article 9 of the Constitution at the recommendation of Chief Minister Acharya.

Chief Minister Acharya had today itself recommended to the Province Chief the names of four legislators from the UML and four from the Nepali Congress for appointment as ministers without portfolio.

The Province Chief administered the oath of office and secrecy of minister without portfolio to Bhumishwar Dhakal, Dinesh Panthi, Sita Sharma and Khem Bahadur Saru from the CPN (UML), and Saroj Thapa, Dhanendra Karki, Badshah Kurmi and Prachanda Bikram Neupane of the Nepali Congress. The portfolio of the newly-appointed ministers will be allocated only after agreement between the UML and Nepali Congress, it is said.