Four CPN (Maoist Center) lawmakers, who lost their ministership after being expelled from the House of Representatives (HoR), have again been sworn in as ministers Friday.
Speaker Agni Sapkota read the name of the four lawmakers during the House meeting on Thursday stating that they have been expelled by the party.
The party had written for removal of Energy Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Industry Minister Lekh Raj Bhatta, Labor Minister Gauri Shankar Chaudhary and Urban Development Minister Prabhu Sah to implement the decision of the standing committee meeting pointing that the four are participating in political activities of another party.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered oath of office and secrecy to the ministers in presence of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli amidst a program at the Shital Niwas in the evening. They have been reappointed to their respective previous ministries.
The four were ministers as per Article 76(9) of the Constitution. PM Oli has appointed them in accordance to another article of the Constitution for them to become ministers.
Article 78 of the Constitution allows a person who is not member of the federal parliament to become minister but the person must become federal lawmaker within six months of taking oath of office.
The four ministers elected on ticket of Maoist Center had decided to join CPN-UML instead of returning to Maoist Center after the Supreme Court on March 7 invalidated unification of the two parties that formed CPN resulting in their expulsion.
Maoist Center has also written to the National Assembly Secretariat on Friday informing that Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa is no longer the party's lawmaker. Thapa will also have to be reappointed as minister after expulsion from the National Assembly.
