UML to have 11 ministers, CPN-MC seven

Kathmandu, February 22

The CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist Centre today reached an understanding on sharing ministerial portfolios and expanding the Cabinet tomorrow.

As per the understanding between the two constituents of the left alliance, 11 ministers will be from the UML, including the prime minister, and seven from the CPN-MC.

Prime Minister and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and CPN-MC Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal decided on sharing ministries as per the feedback of their respective party leaders.

Both the parties will finalise names of lawmakers to be inducted in the Cabinet tomorrow. CPN-MC Chair Dahal, Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Ram Bahadur Thapa have been given the responsibility of selecting ministers from their party. They held discussions with senior party leaders to finalise the names.

From the UML, PM Oli will propose names of ministers in the party’s standing committee meeting tomorrow.

Thapa will lead the CPN-MC in the government as deputy prime minister and home minister. Other ministerial aspirants from the CPM-MC are Matrika Yadav, Pampha Bhusal, Devendra Poudel, Bina Magar, Barshaman Pun, Agni Sapkota, Haribol Gajurel, Janardan Sharma, Shakti Bahadur Basnet, Lekharaj Bhatt, Dev Prasad Gurung and Jayapuri Gharti.

CPN-MC leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara is likely to be elected Parliament speaker.

From the UML, General Secretary Ishwor Pokharel and secretaries Pradip Gyawali and Yogesh Bhattarai are likely to be inducted in the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, the two left alliance task forces formed a few days ago to finalise interim statute of the unified party and political document have been given 15 days to come up with their reports as per the direction of Oli and Dahal.

UML Secretary Gokarna Bista said the reports would be presented to the two top leaders by March 9. “The task forces will work as per the six-point basic principle adopted a few days ago for party unification,” Bista told THT.

Oli and Dahal will also jointly impart training to members of Parliament representing the left alliance in Kathmandu on March 3.

Who gets what

CPN-UML

  • Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers
  • Ministry of Finance and Planning
  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Ministry of Defence
  • Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport
  • Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration
  • Ministry of Information, Communications and Science and Technology
  • Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs
  • Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture
  • Ministry of Health and Population
  • Ministry of Tourism

CPN-MC

  • Ministry of Home Affairs
  • Ministry of Energy (Hydropower and Renewables)
  • Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply
  • Ministry of Urban Development, Settlement, Water and Sanitation
  • Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, Food Security, Cooperative and Land Reform
  • Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change
  • Ministry of Labour and Employment, Women, Children, Senior Citizen and Social welfare