Nepali Congress indecision delays Cabinet expansion

FILE - Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel attending a party's meeting in Naya Baneshwar, Kathmandu, on Tuesday, August 23, 2016. Photo: RSS
FILE - Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel attending a party's meeting in Naya Baneshwar, Kathmandu, on Tuesday, August 23, 2016. Photo: RSS

KATHMANDU: Internal differences over the names of ministerial nominees from the Nepali Congress, a major coalition ally, has delayed the expansion of Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government.

It was expected that Prime Minister Dahal, on Wednesday, would induct ministers from the Nepali Congress to give full shape to his government.

But the largest party in the Parliament, Nepali Congress, failed to make final list of nominees today also, thanks to factionalism and differences between Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and leader Ram Chandra Paudel.

It is said that Deuba has already chosen ministers from his faction. Expressing discontent over the number of ministers and their portfolio that it would get, the Paudel faction, however, decided not to send any lawmakers lending support to Paudel to the Cabinet and thereby forcing the party president, Deuba, to withhold the final recommendation for Cabinet expansion.

In a meeting held at Paudel's personal residence in Bohoratar, they criticised Deuba's modus operandi concluding it was not at a par with the party's tradition and made the decision not to take part in the government for now, Rastriya Samachar Samiti reported quoting lawmaker Gururaj Ghimire.

The Parliament had elected the Maoist chairman as KP Sharma Oli's successor on August 3. He assumed his office the following day, forming a mini-Cabinet incorporating other five ministers -- two from Nepali Congress and three his party, CPN Maoist Centre.

Nepali Congress had sent Bimalendra Nidhi as the second man and Ramesh Lekhak as a senior minister to the Cabinet when Prime Minister Dahal formed the government on August 4.

Dahal expanded his Cabinet twice, first inducting nominees from two fringe parties and later more ministers from his party.

Earlier, Nepali Congress President Deuba had bought his time to make recommendations owing to the general convention of party's students union.

The Cabinet currently has 18 members, including Deputy Prime Minisers, 11 ministers and four state ministers.

Nepali Congress, which is to get lion's share as per the power sharing deal between Deuba and Dahal, has to send 11 more ministers to the Cabinet.

 

FILE - Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel attending a party's meeting in Naya Baneshwar, Kathmandu, on Tuesday, August 23, 2016. Photo: RSS
FILE - Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel attending a party's meeting in Naya Baneshwar, Kathmandu, on Tuesday, August 23, 2016. Photo: RSS

SN

 Name

Portfolio

1.

Prime Minister

Puspa Kamal Dahal

Industry; Commerce; Defence; Urban Development; Foreign Affairs;Women, Children and Social Welfare Development;

Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation; Water Supply and Sanitation;

Labor and Employment; Education; Forest and Soil Conservation;

Peace and Reconstruction; Health;

Livestock Development ;  General Administration;  Irrigation;

Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation;

Science and Technology

2.

DPM Bimalendra Nidhi

Home Affairs

3.

DPM Krishna Bahadur Mahara

Finance

4.

Minister Ramesh Lekhak

Physical Infrastructure and Transportation

5.

Minister Janardan Sharma

Energy

6.

Minister Deepak Bohara

Supplies

7.

Minister Gauri Shankar Chaudhari

Agricultural Development

8.

Minister Daljit Shrepaili

Youth and Sports

9.

Minister Bikram Panday

Land Reform and Management

10.

Minister Jayadev Joshi

Population and Environment

11.

Minister Hitraj Panday

Federal Affairs and Local

Development

12.

Minister Surendra Kumar Karki aka Ram Karki

Information and Communications

13.

Minister Dhaniram Paudel

Without portfolio

14.

Minister Ajaya Shankar Nayak

Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs

15.

State Minister Shreprasad Jawegu

Federal Affairs and Local

Development

16.

State Minister Satya Narayan Bhagat

Energy

17.

State Minister Radhika Tamang

Agricultural Development

18.

State Minister Dhana Maya Bika

Without portfolio

Source: OPMCM