Madhav Kumar Nepal says peace, constitution-drafting top priorities

Kathmandu, May 25 (ANI): Newly elected Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal today said that bringing the peace process to its logical conclusion and drafting a new Constitution would be the top priorities of his government.

Speaking to mediapersons after assuming his office at the PMO in Singha Durbar, Madhav Kumar mentioned that addressing the immediate needs of the people, maintaining good governance, law and order and creating employment would be other priorities of his cabinet.

He said political consensus is necessary for addressing the pressing problems, adding that the government would implement the agreements reached with various groups in the past.

After taking office, the Prime Minister also gave direction to government secretaries, asking them to cooperate in implementing the programmes of the new government.

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav administered him the oath amidst a special function held at presidential palace Shital Niwas.

Though the Maoists boycotted the Prime Minister's election process on Saturday, their deputy leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha and former Communication Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara attended the oath ceremony.

Madhav Kumar has formed a three-member cabinet, inducting UML leaders Bidhya Bhandari and Surendra Pandey as Defence and Finance ministers respectively.

The Nepali Congress said it would name its ministers only after the numbers of portfolios in the new cabinet are decided. The Nepali Congress and the UML have formed separate committees to finalise the distribution of portfolios.

The three parties in the coalition have not shown much interest in the Home Ministry, which is considered the most powerful portfolio, in the wake of growing security problem and likely street demonstrations from the Unified CPN (Maoist).

Meanwhile, smaller parties have begun their internal discussion to name their representatives in the government, Nepalnews reported. (ANI)