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Nepal's King Forms Election Government

By B.Rana

The King reshuffled the 10-month old government last week, two months before municipal polls on 8 February. The expanded government will hold the elections even if opposition parties still decide to boycott the vote.

The King introduced changes in the government immediately after returning home from an extended three-week tour of Bangladesh and several African countries. His Majesty continues to head the government while retaining the defence ministry portfolio.

After holding discussions with senior vice-chairman Dr Tulsi Giri, the King inducted 18 new ministers in the council of ministers while sacking eight others.

His Majesty has attempted to give the government a broad all-party character as far as possible amid calls at home and abroad for an all-party government to resolve the unsettled and prolonged political problem.

As a section of the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party debated whether to participate in the municipal polls, at least six senior party functionaries were inducted into the government.

Kamal Thapa was appointed home minister. Brijesh Kumar Gupta was nominated minister of state for physical planning, party spokesperson Roshan Karki assistant minister for local development, Bhuban Pathak assistant minister for education and sports and Pratap Ram Lohar assistant minister for environment, transport and management.

Keshar Bahadur Bista, who only recently launched a new party, has been appointed minister for agriculture and cooperatives.

Keshar Bahadur Bista is the fourth-ranking minister below Dr Giri and Kirtinidhi Bista and agriculture minister Badri Mandal because he was minister in the panchayat era before his present cabinet colleagues.

To recall, Kehar Bahadur Bista resigned as education minister then, following the Dashrath Rangalashala stampede in which 72 football fans died. The stampede is still Asia's worst sports disaster.

Chief of Samata Party Narayan Singh Pun has been appointed minister for land reforms and management.

Buddhiman Tamang of the Rashtriya Janasakti Party and a close associate of its chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa has been appointed minister for industry ,commerce and supplies.

Surya Bahadur Thapa and Rashtriya Prajatantra Party chairman Pashupati SJB Rana said they were not consulted before the appointments of their party colleagues.

Dr Giri and Kirtinidhi Bista have been retained as vice-chairman. But Bista has lost all his ministerial portfolios. Foreign minister Ramesh Nath Pandey has also been retained.

Then new faces in the government are veterans who have attempted to negotiate a peace settlement with Maoists.

Former peace negotiator Pun hinted government could withdraw red corner notices against Maoists indicating the government is making an effort towards peace talks.

Chairman of Nepal Sadbavana Party Badri Prasad Mandal has been retained to give the government an all-party character.

Home minister Dan Bahadur Shahi and finance minister Madhukar SJB Rana were sacked.

Shahi goes out of government following an attack on the royal carcade after demonstrations by the CPN-UML this month.

It appears, the reshuffle has been prompted to give the government a better and cleaner image as well.

Two women have been included in the council of ministers.

The finance ministry has been entrusted to leaders of the business community. Rup Jyoti was promoted to minister of state and given independent charge of the ministry while Rajesh Kazi Shrestha has been appointed as his deputy.