PM Oli needs to appoint the most experienced, capable, qualified and energetic people from his party in his cabinet to bail the country out of this unprecedented crisis

It has been more than three weeks since CPN-UML chairman KP Sharma Oli-led coalition government was formed. But the government has yet to take a complete shape mainly due to differences within the ruling party. Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), one of the constituents of the coalition, has also not been able to select the names of the persons joining the government thanks to differences over who should represent the party in the government which is confronted with the problem of dealing with acute shortages of essential commodities, including the petroleum products, because of the unofficial blockade by India causing the border-based agitation by some fringe Madhes-based parties. The ruling CPN-UML has already held several rounds of meetings to select the names for cabinet portfolios. As per the understanding among the coalition partners, the UML is supposed to get at least nine or ten ministries. It has, however, been able to appoint only three ministers, one of them as minister without portfolio. A standing committee meeting of the UML held on Monday was supposed to pick names for joining the cabinet. But it failed to finalise the names as it was busy in discussing the violence in Birgunj where one Indian national was killed in police action.

PM Oli is learnt to have faced pressures from various factions within the party to select names for the ministerial berths. Too many people are said to be interested in getting the ministerial berths which has led the PM to walk on a tight rope. The standing committee has also set some criteria based on which the PM has to select the people in his cabinet. On the other hand, the new constitution does not allow anyone to appoint as a minister unless s/he is a lawmaker or will get elected within six months from the date of his/her appointment to the post. He has no other option than to appoint as ministers from among the lawmakers.

PM Oli cannot waste too much time in giving his cabinet a complete shape as the nation is passing through the most difficult moment in history. This government has to deal with the acute scarcity of petroleum products and other essential commodities, prolonged agitation by the Madhes-based parties in the plains and implement the new constitution taking all the parties, including the main opposition, into confidence. At this critical moment, PM Oli needs to appoint the most experienced, capable, qualified and energetic people from his party in his cabinet so that he can bail the country out of this unprecedented crisis. On the other hand, the party must give the PM a free hand to choose persons as ministers according to the criteria earlier set by the party. There is also a growing call for appointing people as ministers from the young generation lawmakers who are well-educated and have earned a good public image or faith due to their performance either as lawmakers, chairmen of parliamentary or Constituent Assembly committees or as ministers in the past. The PM must appoint the right persons in right ministries so that they can get maximum output from their performance that will ultimately benefit the nation.

Children immunized

The Health Ministry is all set to identify children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition. In addition women volunteer health workers have been distributing Vitamin A capsules and de-worming tablets to children between six months to five years in districts hit most by the deadly April 25 mega earthquake and several aftershocks after that. Although a large number of children suffer from malnourishment a substantial number of them are severely malnourished. While administering the capsules the health workers also measure the arms of children aged below five to detect this abnormality. So far, the Health Ministry has identified 1,500 children with this serious affliction.

After the severe earthquakes the women health volunteers had immunized about 2,500 children five in the makeshift settlements in the three districts of Kathmandu. Vaccines have been given to the children to check the possible outbreak of measles and rubella earlier this year on May. The government has set the target of administering Vitamin A capsules and de-worming tablets to children between one year to five years numbering about 3.2 million.