Kathmandu:- Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Saturday reformed his Cabinet as agreed in Thursday’s power-sharing deal, inducting 12 Cabinet ministers from his party UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress, and the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM).
This is the first “consensus government” joined by major political forces since the election of the Constituent Assembly in 2008. However, constitutionally, this is a majority government as Bhattarai was elected the country’s top executive as per Article 38(2) of the Interim Constitution, which mandates the formation of a majority government if a consensus government fails. Just before the signing of the five-point agreement on Thursday midnight, all the ministers of the Bhattarai-led majority government had tendered their resignation.
The newly appointed ministers are Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Post Bahadur Bogati, Barshaman Pun, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi and Dinanath Sharma from the UCPN (Maoist), and Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Surya Gurung from the Nepali Congress. Portfolios have not been assigned to the Maoist and NC ministers.
The ministers from the SLMM are Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar (Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister), Hridayesh Tripathi (Minister for Physical Planning and Works), Madhendra Yadav (Minister for Irrigation), Rajendra Mahato (Minister for Health) and Raj Kishore Yadav (Minister for Information and Communi-cations), all of whom retaining their previous portfolios. Even if the portfolios for NC and Maoists will be decided after the CPN-UML forwards names of its ministerial candidates, Shrestha was sworn in as a DPM.
PM Bhattarai, in presence of President Ram Baran Yadav, administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly appointed ministers amid a function at the President’s office on Saturday evening. Minister Mahato, who is busy with his party’s ongoing general convention, will be sworn in a few days’ time.
The major political forces have formed a national unity government just 22 days before the tenure of the Constituent Assembly expires. The unity government is believed to give impetus to the constitution-writing process.
On Thursday night, parties singed a five-point deal promising to form a national unity government within two days to fast-track constitution-drafting.
In the deal, parties have also agreed to hand over the leadership of the consensus government to NC before constitution promulgation on May 27.
All the four governments formed in the past four years were majority ones, which failed on the constitution-writing front.
Maoist ministers
Narayan Kaji Shrestha
Post Bahadur Bogati
Barshaman Pun
Top Bahadur Rayamajhi
Dinanath Sharma
Nepali Congress ministers
Krishna Prasad Sitaula
Surya Man Gurung
Madhesi Morcha ministers
Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar (MJF-L)
Raj kishore Yadav (MJF-G)
Hridayesh Tripathy (TMLP)
Mahendra Yadav (TMLP-Nepal)
Rajendra Mahato (Sadhbhawana) — yet to take oath
Yadav did not inform party: MJF-G leaders
Even as officiating Chairman of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Ganatantrik Rajkishore Yadav was sworn in as Minister for Information and Communication on Saturday, his party colleagues have said that the party has not been informed about the matter.
According to MJF-G General Secretary Atma Ram Sah, Yadav has not informed the party about being appointed as a minister.
“Our meeting is scheduled for Sunday to decide on who will represent the party in the Cabinet,” said Sah. “If Rajkishore Yadav takes the oath of office before the party meeting, it would be his personal decision but not that of the party”. Kamaldeb Bhattarai:
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