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Khanal inducts four Maoist ministers in cabinet; ministers sworn in

Ending the month-long uncertainty over the expansion of the cabinet, Prime Minister Khanal inducted four ministers from the UCPN (Maoist) on Friday.

Maoist standing committee member Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who leads the party’s team to the government, has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Information and Communication, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi as Minister for Physical Planning and Works, Barshaman Pun as Minister for Peace and Reconstruction and Khadaga Bahadur Biswokarma as Minister for Tourism.

With today’s expansion, Khanal now heads a cabinet of seven ministers, three from his party, CPN-UML.

Meanwhile, the four ministers were sworn in by the PM in the presence of President Dr Ram Baran Yadav amid a ceremony held at the President’s office, Shital Niwas, in the evening. Vice President Paramananda Jha and Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal were also present in the swearing in ceremony.

None of the Maoist ministers wore official national dress, Daura-Suruwal.

A meeting of the Maoist standing committee nominated the four leaders as ministers Friday morning. The party has said the remaining seven ministers and state ministers would be picked after further internal deliberations.

Sources said the Maoist top brass remains divided over the names of leaders to be sent to the government. Nearly 100 central leaders are known to be vying for ministerial berths and that party chairman Dahal is under tremendous pressure to come up with a balanced list of ministerial candidates. nepalnews.com