Yadav likely to be foreign minister

REPUBLICA

KATHMANDU, March 5: Chairman of the Madhesi People´s Rights Forum, Nepal (MPRF-N) Upendra Yadav is likely to become deputy prime minister and minister for foreign affairs.

A CPN-UML leader close to Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal told Republica that MPRF-N is likely to get the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Supplies though the party has staked claim to three ministries to accommodate three cabinet ministers, two state ministers and an assistance minister from the party.

Earlier, Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara was projected as the foreign minister in the Khanal-led government but he was appointed minister for information and communications.

According to an MPRF-N leader, the party has staked claimed to three ministries -- Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation.

Though the prime minister has held talks with Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Nepal (MPRF-N) asking it to join the government, there has been no talks regarding the ministries to be given to the party, said the CPN-UML leader.