Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is likely to expand his Cabinet later this week following discussions with his coalition partner, the Nepali Congress. The Maoist Centre and the NC are scheduled to hold a meeting on Thursday to discuss Cabinet expansion.

A meeting of the CPN (Maoist Centre)’s headquarters on Tuesday entrusted Chairman Dahal with the task of selecting ministers from the party.

According to party sources, Dahal is likely to select Janardan Sharma as minister for energy, Ram Karki as minister for information and communication, Pravu Sah as minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs, Hitraj Pande as minister for federal affairs and local development and Dhaniram Poudel as minister for education.

Tuesday’s meeting also held discussions on making the Cabinet inclusive with the inclusion of women. Two women lawmakers from the party—Radhika Tamang and Anita Pariyar—are being considered as ministers, said the sources.

The Maoist Centre on July 28, about a week before Dahal was elected prime minister, had said it would send ministers on the basis of proportional and inclusive representation.

Dahal has so far inducted Gauri Shankar Chaudhary, a Janajati leader, and Daljit Shripaili, a leader from the Dalit community, into his Cabinet. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bimalendra Nidhi from the NC represents the Madhesi community.

Just as PM Dahal’s party, the Maoist Centre, continues to discuss names for ministers, the NC, the key coalition partner, has its own fair share of struggles. With too many aspirants in the NC, party President Sher Bahadur Deuba is yet to make picks for the ministers in the new government. 

Deuba on Saturday had told PM Dahal that the NC would send ministers to the government after the conclusion of the general convention of the Nepal Students’ Union, sister wing of the party.

The NSU’s convention kicked off on Sunday and should have concluded on Tuesday, but following some disputes over representatives, its closed session was postponed on Monday.

The NSU closed session has been rescheduled for Wednesday.

Dahal, who was elected prime minister on August 3, is leading a nine-member Cabinet with three ministers from his party, two each from the NC and the Rastriya Prajantantra Party and one from the CPN (Samyukta).

Maoists dwell on names for PM’s advisers

KATHMANDU: A meeting of the headquarters of the CPN (Maoist Centre) on Tuesday discussed some names as possible advisers to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Rishiraj Adhikary, former ambassador to Malaysia, is being considered for the post of PM’s foreign affairs adviser, according to sources. But several party leaders have been lobbying for Manoj Thapa for the post. Thapa, who is close to Ram Bahadur Thapa, has worked in party’s  international department. Similarly, Govinda Acharya is likely to be appointed PM’s press adviser. Chandra Prakash Khanal could become Dahal’s political adviser. (PR)