Cabinet shape likely Tuesday

REPUBLICA

KATHMANDU, Aug 30: Newly-elected Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai assumed office on Monday after taking his oath at the President´s official residence at Shitwal Niwas, but the prime minister failed to give any shape to his cabinet due to intra and inter-party differences over distribution of ministerial portfolios.

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav administered the oath of office and secrecy to Bhattarai, who was elected as the 35th prime minister of the country. Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, who is chairman of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D), also took his oath of office.


The prime minister is yet to finalize the names of the ministers due to inter and intra-party differences over the ministries.

Maoist Secretary CP Gajurel said after a meeting of top office bearers on Monday that his party would consult the Madhes-based parties on the distribution of portfolios and decide the names of party leaders to be sent into the cabinet. “The party is holding a Standing Committee meeting on Tuesday morning to decide on ministerial portfolios,” said party Standing Committee Member Barshaman Pun.

“The cabinet will be formed once we settled the issue with the Madhes-based parties,” he said. According to sources, most of the 12 ministers who were in the last government would be retained in the same positions. However, Hisila Yami, the prime minister´s wife who was minister for land reforms, would stay out.

Similarly, sources say Gopal Kirati and either Barshaman Pun or Janardan Sharma, all of them from the party establishment faction, are likely to join the government.

Party hardliners say if they get the chance to send into the government the next seniormost leader after Bhattarai as deputy prime minister, they would pick CP Gajurel. And if they don´t get that chance, they would pick Dev Gurung.

The group is likely to send party leader Tilak Pariyar into the cabinet in place of Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma, who was minister for tourism and civil aviation.

There is a tussle between Gajurel and Narayankaji Shrestha over who should become deputy prime minister.

Meanwhile, a meeting of top Maoist leaders and the leadership of the five Madhes-based parties held at Singha Durbar on Monday morning decided to finalize the allocation of ministries on Tuesday.



“We need more homework. So, we will finalize the issue on Tuesday,” said JP Gupta, chairman of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Republican (MPRF-R).

Gupta said UDMF would get altogether 11 ministries whereas the UCPN (Maoist) would keep the remaining 15 portfolios out of which four would be allocated to fringe parties.

Madhes-based political parties are likely to get many of the plum ministries including Information and Communication, Defense, Energy, Physical Planning, Tourism and Civil Aviation, and Local Development.

According to sources, Madhes-based parties remained divided over the number of ministerial portfolios each party should get. There are disputes within UDMF over deputy prime ministership. However, emerging from the meeting with the Maoists, Gupta said the Madhes-based political parties have not held discussions in this regard.

“UDMF has not held any discussions yet about allocation of ministerial portfolios,” Gupta added.



According to a preliminary agreement, Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) will get four ministries and MPRF-Republican, Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) and TMDP-Nepal will each get two ministries whereas Sadbhawana Party will get one ministry.

Meanwhile, MPRF, which is not associated with UDMF, is likely to get the Ministries of Labor and Transport and Commerce and Supply.

Meanwhile, breaking the tradition of the newly elected prime minister visiting Sahid Gate to pay respects to the four martyrs Sukraraj Shastri, Dharma Bhakta Mathema, Dasarath Chand and Ganga Lal Shrestha, Prime Minister Bhattarai went to Kirtipur to pay his respects to the late Pushpa Lal Shrestha, founder of the Communist Party of Nepal.