KATHMANDU: A 15member council’ of ministers headed by Manmohan Adhikari, President of the Communist party of Nepal United Marxist communist), was Swom in, last week.
King Birendra, appointed the 74yearold Adhikari as Prime Minister of the minority government in accordance with the Constitution as no other party could forge a coalition after the November 15 midterm elections.
The CPNUMLI occupies 88 seats in the 205seat House of Representatives (Pratinidhi Sabha) While the former ruling Nepali Congress (NC) has 83 seats) neither of them has a single majority (103 seats in the House. ‘The new Prime Minister took his ‘oath in the presence of King Birendra at the Narayanhity peace, last week. The Cabinet members were sworn in at the Prime Minister’s office.
Adhikani said after the swearing-in ceremony, that his government’s first responsibility is to inform the people about the economic and political situation in the country.
He promised to set up commissions to supervise and check inflation, conniption, social security and human rights violations. On the foreign policy, he said, his government would maintain friendly and good relations with India and China as well as all countries in the world on the basis of the principles of coexistence.
In the new Cabinet, the UML general secretary, Madhav Kumar Nepal, was nominated as the deputy Prime Minister, foreign and defence minister.
Adhikari also said that his government would carry out the nine point agreement signed in 1993 between the UML and the Nepali Congress (NC).
Among other seven ministers, who are all the UML standing committee members, are the Home Minister, K.P.Sharma Oli, the local Development and Supply Minister, CP. Mainali, the Finance Minister, Bharatmohan Adhikan, the Agriculture and Land Reform Minister, R.K. Mainali, and the Information and Communications Minister, Pradip Nepal. ‘There are six ministers of state including the Minister of Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and General Administration, Subash Nembang, the State Minister of Commerce, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Bhim Rawal, and the State Minister of Industry and Water Resources, Hari Panda.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 9, 1994
