Kathmandu: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ forged a consensus with allies two days after the CPN-Maoist severed ties with the Nepali Congress and joined forces with the CPN-UML and other parties to form a new coalition government.
Under the power-sharing agreement, the CPN-Maoist is set to take charge of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the CPN-UML secures control over the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport. The Rastriya Swatantra Party will oversee four ministerial portfolios.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party, which has 21 seats, will take charge of crucial ministries such as Home Affairs, Labor, Employment and Social Security, Youth and Sports, and Education, Science, and Technology. Lamichhane, the party’s chair, will head the Home Ministry, with Dol Prasad Aryal and Biraj Bhakta Shrestha assigned to the Labor and Sports ministries, respectively. Sumana Shrestha will head the Education Ministry.
From the CPN-Maoist, Narayan Kaji Shrestha will take on the role of Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Sources say that the CPN (Unified Socialist), led by Madhav Kumar Nepal, will also join the government, acquiring two ministerial portfolios.
However, negotiations are ongoing regarding the allocation of other key ministerial positions.
With the inclusion of the CPN (Unified Socialist), the new coalition government now comprises five parties: Maoist, CPN (UML), RSP, and Janta Samajwadi Party, boasting a combined strength of 152 seats.
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