The ruling coalition has reached roug agreement about sharing of ministries among the parties.
The agreement has been reached following meeting of Prime Minister (PM) Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kuamr Nepal and Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Chairman Upendar Yadav on Tuesday, according to a Baluwatar source.
Nepali Congress (NC)—which has already got home, foreign an law ministers, and minister of state for health—will now get to lead communications and information technology; women, children and senior citizens; and health ministries.
Maoist Center—which already heads finance and energy ministries—will now get land management, cooperatives and poverty alleviation; water supply; and agriculture and livestock development ministries.
Unified Socialist will get defense; culture, tourism and civil aviation; industry, commerce and supplies; urban development; and youth and sports ministries. JSP, meanwhile, will get physical infrastructure and transport; science and technology; federal affairs and general administration; forests and environment; and labor, employment and social security ministries.
The Cabinet will be expanded by Wednesday, according to the source.
Deuba, who was appointed PM on July 13, has not been able to complete the Cabinet in more than two months and has inducted just three ministers from Nepali Congress (NC) and two from Maoist Center and a state minister from NC.
Deuba was not able to expand the Cabinet due to differences in the ruling coalition about the ordinance making splitting of parties easier. The government has now taken the ordinance back paving the way for Cabinet expansion.
