Bhattarai set to expand Cabinet- Eight ministers‚ at lesat 10 state ministers to be sworn in today

KATHMANDU, NOV 8: 

Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai will expand his Cabinet tomorrow before leaving for the Maldives to attend the 17th SAARC summit. 

Prime Minister Bhattarai is likely to induct eight ministers and at least 10 state ministers into his Cabinet, according to Prime Minister Bhattarai's press adviser Ram Rijhan Yadav. 

The Cabinet expansion will see induction of leaders from the Maoist hardline faction and those close to Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister Bhattarai himself. 

The Maoist hardline faction led by Vice-chairman Mohan Baidhya had refused to send the names of leaders to be sworn in as ministers to oppose the four-point deal reached between the Unified CPN-Maoist and Madhes-based parties. The four-point agreement had resulted in Bhattarai's victory to the post of prime minister in Parliament. 

According to Yadav, Dinanath Sharma will be given the education ministry, Lokendra Bista tourism and civil aviation, Satya Pahadi peace and reconstruction, Kalpana Dhamala science and technology, Bhim Prasad Gautam land reforms and Ram Kumar Yadav general administration. Sadbhawana Party-Anandidevi's Sarita Giri will join the government as minister for labour and transport management. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, who is the chairman of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic, is yet to finalise the name for the defence minister, as the Bhattarai's Cabinet does not have one since Sharat Singh Bhandari was sacked over his controversial statements last month. Similarly, land reforms ministry is without a minister since Prabhu Sah was ousted at the same time after his name ran into controversy for 'murdering' a Hindu leader. 

Yadav said 10 other leaders, including Dilip Maharjan, Surya Man Dong, Gopi Achhami, Ghanashyam Yadav, Bishnu Prasad Chaudhari, Jwala Singh, Leela Bhandari and Sushma Sharma, from the UCPN-Maoist will join the government as state ministers. Prime Minister Bhattarai is scheduled to administer oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers at around 9:15am in Shital Niwas in the presence of President Dr Ram Baran Yadav. The state ministers will be sworn in in Singha Durbar later. 

However, Maoist standing committee member Dev Gurung said the decision (to expand the Cabinet) was against the party's decision and the seven-point agreement.

Leaders likely join govt

• Dinanath Sharma (UCPN-M),

Minister for Education

• Lokendra Bista (UCPN-M), 

Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation

• Satya Pahadi (UCPN-M), 

Minister for Peace and Reconstruction

• Kalpana Dhamala (UCPN-M),

Minister for Science and Technology

• Bhim Prasad Gautam (UCPN-M),

Minister for Land Reforms 

• Ram Kumar Yadav (UCPN-M),

Minister for General Administration

• Sarita Giri (Sadbhawana Party-A),

Minister for Labour and Transport Management 

• Name for the post of defence minister yet to be decided

Source: THT