Delay in Cabinet expansion shameful: Dahal

Kathmandu, July 23

CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal today said Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba would expand his Cabinet tomorrow.

Dahal, who held a meeting with the PM in the latter’s official residence this morning, said the PM agreed to expand the Cabinet tomorrow. Dahal said this at a press conference organised at his party headquarters today.

“I told the PM that delay in expanding the Cabinet was embarrassing,” Dahal said, adding that he even proposed that the PM should induct ministers in the Cabinet from CPN-MC if the PM had not finalised the names of lawmakers from his party who could be inducted in the Cabinet. “The PM said that he would expand the Cabinet tomorrow and would also induct lawmakers from his party as well.”

Dahal said his party had already finalised the names of lawmakers who could be inducted in the Cabinet.

Dahal added that his party was not responsible for the delay in Cabinet expansion.

A source at the prime minister’s office said the Cabinet would most likely be expanded tomorrow. “If not tomorrow, the Cabinet would definitely be expanded day after tomorrow,” said the source.

The ruling NC and CPN-MC had, a few days ago, finalised the number of ministries that they would share in the expanded Cabinet.  As per the agreement, the NC will take 13 ministries, including the ministries  of physical infrastructure and transport, water supply and sanitation,  irrigation, information and communications,  defence, and law, justice and parliamentary affairs. The NC already has ministries of finance, education, and labour and employment.

The CPN-MC, on the other hand, will get nine ministries, including the ministries of health, agriculture development, energy, general administration, livestock development, and women, children and social welfare.

CPN-MC already has ministries of home affairs, foreign affairs and urban development.

Nepal Democratic Forum Chair Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar heads the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development.

The CPN-MC source said the party was most likely to send Giriraj Mani Pokhrel, Tek Bahadur Basnet, Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, Shyam Kumar Shrestha, Asha Khanal and Shiva Kumar Mandal to the Deuba-led Cabinet. NC lawmakers  Bhimsen Das Pradhan, Mohan Basnet, Ram Krishna Yadav, Kamala Devi Panta, Bal Bahadur KC, Rajan KC, Dipak Khadka and Min Bahadur Bishwokarma are likely to get ministerial berths, according to NC sources.