CPN US changes ministers, other parties under pressure

Finally, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has changed four of the ministers from the CPN (Unified Socialist). The ruling CPN (Unified Socialist) had submitted the list of new ministers three weeks ago, but PM Deuba was hesitating to reshuffle the Cabinet as some of the sitting ministers from the party objected to the party's move reached the PM as well as Maoist Centre chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

When the ministers denied stepping down, the newly formed party of Madhav Kumar Nepal was in crisis and even the foundation of the coalition government shook. Senior leader Jhala Nath Khanal, as well as leader Nepal, were angry with Deuba ad Dahal when they rejected the party’s decision to change its ministers. However, Deuba was said to have delayed in replacing the ministers before they furnished the questions in the budget in the parliament. Finally, when the budget discussion ended, the PM recommended the President appoint four ministers and one state minister. On Sunday, President Bidya Devi Bhandari reshuffled the cabinet on the recommendation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba by inducting four new ministers and one state minister.

Of the four ministers, Jiban Ram Shrestha is given the portfolio of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Metmani Chaudhary, Ministry of Urban Development, and Bhawani Prasad Khapung, Ministry of Health and Population. Earlier, Khapung was serving as State Minister for Health.

Likewise, Sher Bahadur Kunwar is assigned to the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security while Hira Chandra KC is appointed as the Minister of State for Health and Population.

Shrestha has succeeded Prem Bahadur Ale while Chaudhary and Khapung replaced Ram Kumari Jhakri and Birodh Khatiwada respectively. Similarly, Kunwar has succeeded Krishna Kumar Shrestha.

Other ministers' portfolio has not been changed. Prime Minister Deuba, as usual, will look after the portfolio of the Ministry of Defense.

Now after the change of ministers from the CPN (Unified Socialist) leaders of the Janata Smamjwadi Party Nepal and the

Maoist Centre are under pressure from the party leaders to change the ministers. However, as general elections are just five months away, PM Deuba is not likely to make any change in his Cabinet formed a year ago.