Ruling alliance's meeting: Cabinet expansion soon

KATHMANDU, September 10: A meeting of the ruling parties' alliance has held discussions on finalizing the cabinet expansion issue soon. The meeting attended by the top leaders of the five-party alliance convened at the Prime Minister's residence at Baluwatar. 

In the meeting, Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba urged the leaders of the alliance to give him the list of names of persons to be appointed ministers. Vice-chairperson of the Rastriya Janamorcha, Durga Poudel who attended the meeting said that the PM asked the leaders of the parties in the alliance to submit the name list at the soonest as the Cabinet expansion has delayed. 

"The meeting spent much time discussing the topic of giving full shape to the Council of Ministers. Likewise, talks were held on further refining the alliance and tabling bills in Parliament. The meeting adjourned agreeing to sit again at 6 pm today," she said. 

Prime Minister Deuba had urged the parties in the alliance to promptly finalize the names of the nominees to be appointed ministers after consultations in the respective parties in order to give full shape to the Council of Ministers. 

PM Deuba, CPN (Maoist Centre) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Chairperson of CPN (Unified Socialist) Madhav Kumar Nepal, Chairperson of Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal  Upendra Yadav, NC General-Secretary Purna Bahadur Khadka and Spokesperson of the Rastriya Janamorcha Poudel attended the meeting. 

Deuba had taken the oath of office of the Prime Minister on July 13. He has not been able to expand the Council of Ministers for about two months since then. There are four ministers and one minister of state in his Cabinet at present. PM Deuba is under pressure from within his own party, Nepali Congress, to give full shape to the Cabinet at the earliest.