KATHMANDU: Five new ministers representing the CPN Maoist Centre party in the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led Cabinet are likely to take the oath of office and secrecy from the President today. It has been learned that the oath ceremony has been scheduled for 3 pm at the Sheetal Niwas. The party has decided to send the following leaders as Cabinet members led by its Chairman:

• Janardan Sharma: Minister for Energy
• Ram Karki: Minister for Information and Communications
• Hitraj Pandey: Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development
• Dhaniram (DR) Paudel: Minister for Education
• Ajaya Shankar Nayak: Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs

The party had already sent Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Daljit Shripaili and Gauri Shankar Chaudhary in the Cabinet. The largest coalition member, Nepali Congress, however, is yet to recommend names of its leaders for the Cabinet. Only Bimalendra Nidhi and Ramesh Lekhak have been sworn-in as ministers in the Cabinet from the NC. It has been learned that the party would send more leaders to the government only after voting for leadership of its student wing, Nepal Students Union, would be over. The poll has been scheduled for Tuesday. Further, the inter-party factionalism has made the selection of ministers a tough job for the party President Sher Bahadur Deuba, according to the sources. Dahal had formed a six-member Cabinet before taking the oath of Prime Minister on August 4. Later, on August 8, he had inducted three more ministers. With the latest expansion, the Cabinet strength has reached 14. It includes leaders from four parties; namely: CPN Maoist Centre, Nepali Congress, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and CPN-United.