Kathmandu, Nepal, January 16, 2022: As ruling alliance has finalized the distribution of ministerial portfolios, cabinet is being expanded likely today (Tuesday). The rounds of meeting among the top leaders of the coalition partners finalized the distribution of ministerial portfolios.
Following the one-to-one meeting between Prime Minister and CPN Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN UML Chairman KP Oli, a meeting of the chiefs of four ruling parties- the CPN (Maoist Centre), the CPN-UML, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), and the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP)-held at the prime minister’s residence at Baluwatar on Monday evening finalized the power-sharing deal.
The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), the fourth largest party in the ruling coalition, has got three ministries along with Deputy Prime Minister. It is said that RPP Chairman Rajendra Lingden will represent the party in the government as the Deputy Prime Minister and most likely the Minister of Energy.
Similarly, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which has already got one minister along with Deputy Prime Minister, will get more to ministerial portfolios. It is said that the RSP will get the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Labor. However, RSP Chairman Ravi Lamichhane, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, was insisting for the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) instead of the Ministry of Labor.
Likewise, the CPN-UML has got eight ministers with a deputy Prime Minister along with two ministers of state and the Maoist Center has got 5 ministries along with a deputy Prime Ministers. Similarly, the Janamat Party has already got one ministry. The JSP, however, has decided not to send its ministers immediately in the government expressing its reservations over the issue of ministerial allocations.
Top leaders of the ruling alliance will hold a meeting at 1:00am today before expanding the cabinet. It is said that the meeting was called before taking final decision to expand the cabinet considering to the possible internal differences among the coalition partners over the issue of division of ministerial portfolios.
CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Dahal was appointed as prime minister on December 25 in the backing of 164 lawmakers of different six political parties represent in the parliament. Expansion of cabinet was kept in hold until the endorsement of the vote of confidence to the government from the parliament so as to escape the possible differences over the issue of division of ministerial portfolios among the coalition partners.
