Cabinet reshuffle averted

Preparations made by the ruling CPN (Unified Socialist) to call back its four ministers and induct four new faces into the Cabinet were averted for now after the sitting ministers objected to the party decision. When Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba denied changing the ministers, the hope of new recommended faces to become ministers was dashed.

According to the development of Sunday, Prime Minister Deuba had prepared to induct the new faces on Monday. But when the ministers of CPN (Unified Socialist) met with the PM as well as

Maoist Centre boss Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the plan was abandoned. It is said that when Ministers Prem Ale, Krishna Kumar Shrestha, Birod Khatiwada and Ram Kumari Jhakri objected to the party's decision to replace them with new faces, they visited Baluwatar and Khumaltar and convinced PM Deuba and Maoist boss Dahal that they should not be removed.

Later, a meeting of PM Deuba, Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal decided to withhold the plan stating that removal of ministers when the House was discussing budget would not send a positive message. However, not only the lobbying of the sitting ministers, but other factors also contributed to the postponement of the Cabinet reshuffle. If the ministers of the CPN (Unified Socialist) were removed, Dahal and Deuba would face pressure from within their parties to replace the ministers.

Moreover, JSP-N had prepared a list of new ministers after Nepal submitted the list of new ministers to the PM.

Now the cabinet will not be reshuffled until the budget gets approved. Probably, the present Council of Ministers will be in place till the date of the general election is announced.