Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has prepared to expand the cabinet by giving the ministries previously held by CPN (UML) to the Nepali Congress (NC). UML had eight ministries in the Prachanda-led government.
In the Prachanda-led government that was formed on December 26, UML held the Finance Ministry, Foreign Affairs Ministry, Defense Ministry, Health Ministry, Industry Ministry, Land Reform Ministry, Ministry of Women, Children, and Ministry of Agriculture.
However, after Prime Minister Prachanda formed a new equation with the ruling parties and the opposition parties for the presidential election, UML called back its ministers from the government on February 27. Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) also recalled its ministers on February 25 following the formation of an eight-party alliance.
Similarly, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) also pulled out of the government. RPP had three ministers and one state minister while RSP had two ministers and one state minister.
At the beginning of the formation of the government, the RSP also got the Ministry of Home Affairs. However, Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane resigned after the Supreme Court stripped him of the Member of Parliament over the citizenship issue.
Prime Minister Prachanda has been taking charge of 16 ministries including the 13 ministries (Home, Forest and Environment and Youth and Sports) that lay vacant after the UML, RPP and RSP quit the government after taking the vote of confidence. He has prepared to give the eight ministries held by the UML to the Congress, and the remaining ministries to other parties, keeping the home ministry with the Maoist Center.
A leader close to Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba informed that out of 16 ministries held by the Prime Minister, eight will be given to the Congress and 1 to Maoist Center, and the remaining ministries will be given to other parties.
According to him, Prime Minister Prachanda is trying to bring all 10 parties on board the government who stood united in the presidential election held on March 9. In the presidential election, the Congress, Maoist Center, CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP), Nagarik Unmukti Party, Janamat Party, Rastriya Janamorcha and Nepal Samajbadi Party stood together.
"After giving the eight ministries resigned by the UML to the Congress, Maoists are preparing to take five ministries and give the remaining ministries to other parties," said a leader. Now the Maoists are holding four ministries apart from the Prime Minister. From the Maoist Center, Narayan Kaji Shrestha is the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Rekha Sharma is the Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Sudan Kiranti is the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Aman Lal Modi is the Minister for Federal Affairs and Public Administration and Sushila Sripali Thakuri is the Minister of State for Tourism.
One among Purna Bahadur and Prakash Man to join the government
There is a possibility that one among Congress vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka and central member Prakash Man Singh will lead the party.
Leaders close to President Deuba say that if Vice President Khadka wishes, he will lead the party in the government. Purna dai is a natural claimant because he is the senior vice-president. However, he expressed that he will not become a minister after reaching Surkhet,'' says a leader. The leader's signal was towards central members Bimalendra Nidhi and Prakash Man Singh. Nidhi is also trying to take the leadership of the government on behalf of the party.
Nidhi, who is also a former vice-president, will not join the government if he is not in a position to lead the party, according to a leader.
"He will not become a minister under the leadership of others. There is a possibility of participating in the government under the leadership of leader Prakash Man Singh. NC leaders are advising President Deuba to make Singh the Deputy Prime Minister.
However, sources close to Chaksibari say that there is no discussion regarding it. "There has been no discussion about who will become the ministries and the ministers," he told Nepalkhabr.
It seems that the leaders of other groups want to join the government under the leadership of Shekhar Koirala. They have been saying that President Deuba should give leadership to Koirala and send him to the government. However, his personal secretary Dinesh Thapalia said that he had no idea about leader Koirala's joining the government.
Arzu likely to become foreign minister
Congress leaders say that the discussion about the party leaders joining the Prachanda-led government has not started yet. They say that the discussion about this will start only once the election of the vice president is over.
A highly-placed source at the NC says that internal discussions about the ministers to join the government are underway.
He also claimed that the possibility of Arzu Rana Deuba becoming the foreign minister is high. He said that NP Saud, elected from Kanchanpur-2, Sita Gurung from Tehrathum, Prakash Sharan Mahat and Mohan Bahadur Basnet are also on the list to become ministers.
