Nepal cabinet expansion today

Kathmandu, June 17 (ANI): After a week of political deadlock over the distribution of ministerial berths among the coalition partners, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal will finally expand his cabinet today.

Addressing a meeting of the CPN (UML) parliamentary board here this morning, the Prime Minister said the cabinet would be expanded and the new ministers would be sworn in by 2 pm today.

Earlier, the Nepali Congress and the UML had agreed on the sharing of portfolios and ministerial berths on Sunday after a wrangling for two weeks. However, the Madhes based parties had objected the NC-UML coalition saying the two parties had made the decision without consulting them.

The agreement has been reached after the MJF gave up its claim for home ministry. There has been an agreement on allocation for four cabinet level ministers, four state ministers and one assistant minister to the MJF.

The TMLP reached the agreement after the Prime Minister decided to allocate three cabinet level ministers as demanded by them. NSP will get one cabinet level minister and one state minister. The Madhes based parties will have 16 berths in the cabinet including the cabinet, state and assistant ministers.

The Nepali Congress and the UML have already agreed to appoint seven cabinet ministers and six state ministers from the Nepali Congress and six cabinet ministers and six state ministers from the UML, nepalnews reported. (ANI)