Cabinet expansion likely this evening
KATHMANDU, October 7: The ruling alliance is currently holding a meeting to make a final decision regarding the expansion of the Cabinet at Baluwatar in Kathmandu.
The meeting began at the PM Office Resident at Baluwatar, according to Prime Minister’s press advisor Gobinda Pariyar.
The ruling alliance has already reached an agreement on the distribution of ministerial berths and the Cabinet is expected to get its full shape any time soon.
The ruling alliance comprises the ruling Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) and Rastriya Janamorcha Party.
The ruling Nepali Congress will get seven ministries, CPN (Maoist Center) will get six and CPN (UML) and JSP will get four ministries each.
The meeting has been attended by PM and President of NC Sher Bahadur Deuba, Chairman of CPN (Maoist Center) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Chairman of CPN (Unified Socialist) Madhav Kumar Nepal and Chairman of Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Upendra Yadav.
KATHMANDU: Leaders of the five coalition partners held a meeting on Sunday.
The meeting, held at the official residence of the prime minister in Baluwatar, dwelt mainly on the issue of Cabinet expansion.
The leaders, however, failed to forge concrete consensus, leaving Cabinet expansion in limbo.
Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, who was appointed prime minister on July 13 following the Supreme Court’s mandamus, is yet to form a full-sized Cabinet. The Deuba-led Cabinet has six members including Deuba himself.
KATHMANDU: At a time Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is facing criticism for inordinate delay in forming a full-fledged Cabinet, the top brass of the ruling alliance have held a meeting at the prime minister’s official residence in Baluwatar, Kathmandu.
The meeting, held on Thursday afternoon, dwelt on Cabinet expansion, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and strategies in the upcoming House meetings.
The meeting also analyzed Wednesday’s House obstruction by main opposition CPN-UML.
Shortly after the meeting, Durga Poudel, vice-chairperson of Rastriya Janamorcha said that the meeting did not take any crucial decisions though it discussed various matters.
Speaking during the meeting, PM Deuba urged the leaders of the ruling alliance to facilitate Cabinet expansion and resolve the respective issues.
KATHMANDU, Aug 16: Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba was appointed the prime minister succeeding CPN-UML’s KP Sharma Oli on July 13.
A month has already passed since Deuba took helm of the government following the Supreme Court’s mandamus on July 12. Five days after he assumed his office and won the House’s confidence with 165 votes in the 275-strong lower House of parliament.
The Deuba-led Cabinet has six members including four ministers --- two from the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN (Maoist Center) each --- and a minister of state from the NC.
Deuba, backed by the Maoist Center, Janata Samajbadi Party, CPN-UML’s Madhav Nepal faction and Rastriya Janamorcha during the voting on trust motion, seems to have given least priority to Cabinet expansion. The ruling parties have failed to continue their talks regarding this issue since August 8.
Ruling parties are now busy holding their internal meetings. PM Deuba was busy attending NC’s Central Committee meeting from Thursday to Saturday last week.
The leaders of the Maoist Center were also engaged in the party’s CC meeting on Saturday and Sunday.
JSP, another important member of the alliance, is also holding its CC meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday, meaning Cabinet expansion is still a least priority for the alliance.
JSP Chairperson Upendra Yadav also said that expansion of the Cabinet is not possible immediately unless they hold their party’s CC meeting.
Ramesh Lekhak, a Congress leader, said that Cabinet will get its complete shape in four days. According to him, Cabinet expansion is lagging as it is the coalition government.
