Narayankaji to lead Maoist team in cabinet

	KIRAN PUN KATHMANDU, July 24: As part of the power sharing deal in the party, the Central Committee (CC) meeting of the UCPN (Maoist) has nominated new ministers, under the leadership of Vice-chairman Narayankaji Shrestha, to reshuffle the cabinet. The party has named Shrestha the deputy prime minister and minister for home, a position currently held by party leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara. “It is only temporary arrangement. We will keep pressurizing other parties for the formation of a national consensus government as per the five-point deal,” Shrestha told Republica. The CPN (Unity Centre-Masal) led by Shrestha merged with the Maoist party after the CA elections in 2008, and Shrestha was subsequently appointed the vice-chairman of the UCPN (Maoist). Amik Sherchan and Lilamani Pokharel, who also joined the Maoist party from the Unity Centre-Masal, have, however, seriously objected to the party decision saying that reshuffling the cabinet at this time would be against the five-point deal signed just ahead of the second term extension of the CA. The deal states that Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal would step down to pave way for the formation of a national consensus government. Sherchan and Pokahrel are Shrestha´s rivals in the party and party insiders say that these two leaders were actually opposed to the decision to appoint Shrestha deputy prime minister and minister for home. Along with party general secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa, Shrestha has also currently teamed up with vice-chairmen duo Mohan Baidya and Dr Baburam Bhattarai to downsize Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and force him to share his executive powers with other leaders. Some 156 lawmakers from Baidya and Bhattarai factions have formally submitted a memorandum to Dahal to make the government inclusive. Some other leaders in the party also objected to the party decision saying the selection of the new ministers was not proportional enough. Krishna Singh Danuwar and Ram Kumar Sharma, both of them from Madhes, argued that the tarai region has not been duly represented in the new selection of leaders. The party also decided to appoint Dev Gurung, who is close to Baidya, as the chief whip, the position currently held by the nominee for Minister for Information and Communications Posta Bahadur Bogati. Similarly, Kamala Roka, who is close to Dahal, will be the party whip while Khim Lal Devkota, who is close to Bhattarai, will work as the secretary of the parliamentary board. The party has nominated 24 ministers -- 12 cabinet ministers and 12 state ministers. Among the cabinet ministers, Dahal and Baidya factions have got four ministries each and Bhattarai three. Similarly, four women are cabinet ministers and five state ministers. The party has sent three ministers from the far-western region, two from Karnali region and three from Madhes. Minister name-list Narayankaji Shrestha – deputy prime minister / home Ram Kumar Rai – state minister for home Posta Bahadur Bogati – Information and Communications Amar Tamu -- State minister for Information and Communications Top Bahadur Rayamjhi – Physical Panning and Works Devi Khadka – State Minister for Physical Planning and Works Lokendra Bisht – health and population Satya Pahadi – State minister for health and population Pampha Bhusal – peace and reconstruction Saarad Singh Bhandari – state minister for peace and reconstruction Hisila Yamai – Land Reforms Lila Bhandari – State minister for Land reforms Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma – Tourism and Civil Aviation Indrajit Chaudhary – State Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Lekharaj Bhatta – commerce and supplies Dharmashila Chapagain – State minister for commerce and supplies Prabhu Sah – Law and Justice Ghanashyam Yadav – State minister for Law and Justice Jayapuri Gharti – Women, Children and Social Welfare Kumari Moktan – State Minister for Women Children and Social Welfare Mahendra Paswan – Industry Dhruba Angdambe – State Minister for Supplies Om Sari Gharti – Youth and Sports Suryaman Dong – State Minister for Youth and Sports
Published on 2011-07-24 18:03:45