Crack in coalition as Prachanda forms Cabinet

Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda inducted eight cabinet-rank ministers in his Council of Ministers, but the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist...

Nepal Prime Minister Prachanda inducted eight cabinet-rank ministers in his Council of Ministers, but the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist CPN8212;UML, pulled out at the last minute pushing the future of the Maoist-led three party coalition, into uncertainty.

As a result, Prachanda administered oath of office to eight ministers, four each from the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists CPN-M and the Madheshi Janadhikar Forum MJF.

Baburam Bhattarai, a key Maoist ideologue and Ram Bahadur Thapa 8216;Badal8217;, a People8217;s Liberation Army commander, were sworn in as Finance and Defence Minister respectively, in presence of President Rambaran Yadav. Upendra Yadav of the MJF took over as the new Foreign Minister.

A six-member team of the CPN-UML, which was set to take oath of office, chose was not present in the President8217;s office during the appointed hour for oath taking.

The UML decision at the last moment was in protest against Prime Minister Dahal8217;s refusal to offer no two status to Bamdev Gautam, a former deputy prime minister, and senior UML leader. Dahal kept insisting that Baburam Bhattarai, an ideologue of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists, but with no ministerial experience in the past, would be number two and chair the meeting of the Council of Ministers in the Prime Minister8217;s absence.

The Prime Minister was in a hurry to have his Council of Ministers installed on Friday as he is all set to visit Beijing on Saturday on the invitation of the Government of the People8217;s Republic of China to attend the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games.

The UML, the second largest constituent of the three-party alliance that will have CPN-M and MJF, had drafted its ministers led by Bamdev Gautam, Ram Chandra Jha, Bishnu Poudel, Astalakshmi Shakya, Kiran Gurung and Gopal Shakya. Gautam was to be allotted the Home portfolio.

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It is not yet known whether UML8217;s decision to keep away from the Cabinet is final, but Maoist sources said that the Prime Minister would not allow Bhattarai8217;s seniority superseded by any other minister.

Besides, Bhattarai and Badal, Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Deb Gurung from the CPN-M and Bijay Gachedar, Jaya Prakash Gupta and Renu Yadav of the MJF were also inducted in the Cabinet.