King Gyanendra expands his council of ministers

His Majesty King Gyanendra has expanded the council of ministers led by himself.

The state-run Radio Nepal quoted a communiqué issued Thursday evening by Press Secretariat of His Majesty as saying that HM the King has reshuffled and designated portfolios to the members in his council of ministers constituted nearly five months ago.

According to the state-run Radio, Badri Mandal, Prakash Koirala and Niranjan Thapa are the new cabinet ministers. Mandal was the deputy prime minister in the Lokendra Bahadur Chand-led government. Son of veteran Nepali Congress leader and first popularly elected Prime Minister B P Koirala, Prakash was expelled from the ordinary member of the Nepali Congress party recently for supporting the Feb. 1 royal takeover. Thapa, who has been assigned the law and justice portfolio, was the interior minister during the last Panchayat government led by Marich Man Singh.

While all the ministers and vice chairmen in the council of ministers have been retained, King Gyanendra has chosen eight new faces as assistant ministers in his cabinet. The newly appointed assistant ministers include industrialist Dr. Roop Jyoti, Yankila Sherpa, Chhakka Bahadur Lama, Golchhe Sarki, Jagat Gauchan, Nitshe Shumsher and Senate Shrestha.

Dr. Jyoti and Sherpa were appointed to the Upper House as royal nominees. The UML had recently expelled its former MP, Golchhe Sarki, for supporting the royal move.

Opposition parties are yet to comment on the newly expanded council of ministers.

King Gyanendra had sacked then premier Sher Bahadur Deuba and assumed executive powers himself on Feb. 1, this year. nepalnews.com by July 14 05

List of new cabinet

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