Nepal PM Dahal swears in new ministers

Kathmandu, August 22 : Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Friday administered the oath of office and secrecy to ministers of the new cabinet.

Altogether eight ministers-four each of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) and the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF)-were sworn in at a function in presence of President Dr. Rambaran Yadav at the presidential residence at Sital Niwas in Kathmandu today.

According the Interim Constitution of Nepal, the Prime Minister has to administer the oath of office and secrecy to the ministers in the presence of the president.

However, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) nominees decided to stay away from the swearing-in ceremony. At last moment, the UML and the Maoists had differences over the hierarchy of ministers.

The UML threatened that it will not join the government if the Maoists do not reconsider the post of Deputy Prime Minister for Bamadev Gautam.

In the cabinet, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has been nominated Deputy Prime Minister and he will look after the Ministry of Finance also. On the other hand, MPRF Chairman Upendra Yadav will head the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Another top Maoist leader Ram Bahadur Thapa has been appointed as the new Defence Minister.

Also, MPRF's Vijaya Kumar Gachhedar will head the Ministry for Physical Planning and Works.

Likewise, Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Dev Gurung will be new ministers for Information and Communications, and Law and Justice respectively.

MPRF's Jaya Prakash Gupta will look after the Ministry for Agriculture and Cooperative, and Renu Yadav of the same party will be minister for Education.

Earlier the UML had said that Gautam will be the deputy prime minister in the government and he will head the Home Ministry as well.

ANI