Nepal PM expands Cabinet, inducts 15 new ministers

Nepal's Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli today expanded his Cabinet and inducted 15 new ministers in his Council of Ministers, including the daughter-in-law of Maoist chief Prachanda.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office to the newly appointed 11 ministers and four ministers of state in an official function at the president's house Sheetal Niwas, the Himalayan Times reported.

With the induction of new ministers, the Oli-led Cabinet now has 22 members.

Six lawmakers from the CPN-UML and five from the CPN Maoist Centre were inducted as Ministers to the Cabinet while four Members of Parliament (MPs) were given the charge of the Minister of State.

Yesterday, Oli held consultations with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Centre)chief Prachanda regarding the Cabinet expansion.

The six CPN-UML ministers are Pradip Kumar Gyawali (Foreign Affairs), Rabindra Adhikari (Tourism and Civil Aviation), Raghubir Mahaseth (Physical Infrastructure and Development), Gokarna Bista (Labour and Employment), Jagat Bishwakarma (Youth and Sports) and Sher Bahadur Tamang (Law), according to a President's Office statement.

The three Minister of State from the party are Gokul Baskota (Information and Communication), Padma Kumari Aryal (Health and Population) and Dhan Bahadur Buda (Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation).

The five lawmakers from the CPN-Maoist Centre who were given the ministerial berth include Barshaman Pun (Energy and Water Resources), Giriraj Mani Pokharel (Education), Shakti Bahadur Basnet (Forestry), Chakrapani Khanal (Agriculture and Land Reforms) and Prachanda's daughter-in-law Bina Magar (Drinking Water), it said.

Prachanda's only son Prakash Dahal died in November last year due to heart failure.

CPN-Maoist Centre MP, Ram Kumari Chaudhary was made Minister of State for Agriculture and Cooperatives.

The Oli Cabinet, earlier, had seven members including lawmakers Ishwar Pokhrel, Lal Babu Pandit, Yubaraj Khatiwada, Tham Maya Thapa, Ram Bahadur Thapa and Matrika Yadav.

Meanwhile, CPN-UML lawmaker Shivamaya Tumbahamphe was today elected as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The Left alliance candidate defeated her rival Pushpa Bhusal of the main opposition Nepali Congress by 140 votes.

Tumbahamphe secured by 201 votes while Bhusal got 61. Out of the total 275 members of the House, 261 lawmakers cast their vote during the election.

CPN-Maoist Centre lawmaker Dev Gurung had proposed her name for the post and seconded by CPN-UML Rabindra Adhikari.

CPN-Maoist Centre MP Krishna Bahadur Mahara had been elected to the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives during a voting at Parliament building last week.