King Birendra constitutes 16-member new Council of Ministers
By Nepal News Correspondent 0800hrs NST

All old faces in the new cabinet
By Nepal News Correspondent 1000hrs NST

Kathmandu, May 31:There are all old faces in the new Council of Ministers constituted today headed by Prime Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.Following is the brief profile of members of new Council of Ministers:

1. Krishna Prasad Bhattarai Prime Minister, Royal Palace Affairs, Ministry of Home, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Women and Social Welfare.

Bhattarai, 74, is a member of House of Representatives from Parsa-1 constituency. He was the interim Prime Minister immediately after the success of mass movement for the restoration of democracy in 1990. Also a former president of the Nepali Congress, he participated in and led different movements launched by the Nepali Congress against the partyless Panchayat system in the past. He was one of the key figures to lead the democratic movement in 1990.

2. Yog Prasad Upadhyaya Minister for Education

Yog Prasad Upadhyaya is the only member of present cabinet who is not the member of parliament. He was Home and Communication Minister in the interim cabinet headed by K.P. Bhattarai in 1990. He also served as an ambassador of Nepal to the United States of America for about three years in 1991-1993.

3. Tara Nath Ranabhat Minister for Law and Justice; and Parliamentary Affairs

Ranabhat is a member of House of Representatives from Kaski-1 constituency. He is also the general secretary of the Nepali Congress. He also served as Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in the cabinet headed by Girija Prasad Koirala in 1991.

4. Chiranjibi Wagle Minister for Land Reforms and Management; and Commerce

Wagle is a member of House of Representatives from Gorkha-1. He is also a member of Nepali Congress Central Working Committee. He served as Minister twice in 1990 and 1996. He was Minister for Supplies in the cabinet headed by Girija Prasad Koirala in 1990 and Minister for Information and Communication in the cabinet headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba in 1996.

5. Khum Bahadur Khadka Minister for Housing and Physical Planning; and Local Development
Khadka is a member of House of Representatives from Dang-1. He is also a member of Nepali Congress Central Working Committee. He was Minister for Works and Transport in the cabinet headed by Girija Prasad Koirala in 1991, Minister for Home in the cabinet headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba in 1996 and Minister for Supplies in the cabinet headed by Girija Prasad Koirala in 1998.

6. Govinda Raj Joshi Minister for Water Resources

Joshi is a member of House of Representatives from Tanahu-1.He was the Home Minister in the caretaker cabinet headed by Girija Prasad Koirala. He served as Minister for Education twice in 1991 and 1996. He is a member of Nepali Congress Central Working Committee.

7. Chakra Prasad Bastola Minister for Agriculture

Bastola is a member of House of Representatives from Jhapa-4. He is also a member of Nepali Congress Central Working Committee. He served as Minister for Tourism in the cabinet headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba in 1996. He also served as an ambassador of Nepal to India from 1992-1994.

8. Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation

Gachhadar is a member of House of Representatives from Sunsari-2 and also a member of Nepali Congress Central Working Committee. He served as Minister for Information and Communication in 1992 and Minister for Works and Transport in 1996.

9. Bal Bahadur K.C Minister for General Administration; and Labour

K.C is the member of House of Representatives from Solukhumbu district. He was member of Nepali Congress Central Working Committee. He also served as Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture in the cabinet headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba in 1996.

10. Prakash Man Singh Minister for Supplies

Son of late Ganesh Man Singh, Prakash Man Singh is the member of National Assembly (Upper House of Parliament). He also served as Minister for Population and Environment in the cabinet headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba in 1996.

11. Sarat Singh Bhandari Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture

Bhandari is a member of House of Representatives from Mahottarai-3. He was assistant Minister during the Panchayat regime and Minister in the cabinet headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba in 1996.

12. Mahanta Thakur Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation

Thakur is a member of House of Representatives from Sarlahi-5. He is a member of Nepali Congress Central Working Committee. He also served as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1991 to 1994 and also the Minister for Information and Communication in 1996.

13. Omkar Shrestha Minister for Population and Environment; and Works and Transport; and Science and Technology

Shrestha is a member of National Assembly and a member of Nepali Congress Central Working Committee. He also served as Minister for Parliamentary Affairs in the cabinet headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba in 1996.

14. Purna Bahadur Khadga  Minister for Information and Communication; and Industry

Khadka is a member of House of Representatives from Surkhet-1. He also served as Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture in the caretaker government headed by Girija Prasad Koirala.

15. Dr Ram Baran Yadav Minister for Health

Dr Yadav is the member of House of Representatives from Dhanusha-5. He also served as Minister for Health in the elected government headed by Girija Prasad Koirala from 1991-1994.

16. Mahesh Acharya Minister for Finance

Acharya is the member of House of Representatives from Morang-5 and also a member of Nepali Congress Central Committee. He also served as Minister of State for Finance from 1991-1994.

Krishna Prasad Bhattarai 1990 (Interim Prime Minister)

Girija Prasad Koirala 1991 (First elected Prime Minister after the restoration of democracy in 1990).

Man Mohan Adhikari 1994 ( First communist Prime Minister of Nepal. He was the prime Minister of CPN-UML minority government)

Sher Bahadur Deuba 1995 ( Prime Minister of Nepali Congress, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Nepal Sadbhavana Party coalition government)

Lokendra Bahadur Chand 1997 ( Prime Minister of CPN-UML, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Nepal Sadbhavana Party coalition government)

Surya Bahadur Thapa 1997 ( Prime Minister of Nepali Congress, RPP and NSP coalition government)

Girija Prasad Koirala 1998 ( Prime Minister of Nepali Congress minority government)

Girija Prasad Koirala 1998 ( Prime Minister of NC and CPN-UML joint caretaker government)

Krishna Prasad Bhattarai 1999 (Prime Minister of Nepali  Congress majority government)

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Prime Minister Bhattarai assumes office
By Nepal News Correspondent 1530hrs NST

Kathmandu, May 31:Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai assumed his office at Singhdurbar today. Right after assuming the office, he told the reporters that he wanted to improve the moribund economy of the country and alleviate poverty. " I seek cooperation from all political parties and the people to accomplish this work of uplifting the country's economic and social condition", said Bhattarai.

He also thanked Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala for backing him to become the Prime Minister for five years.

Earlier, Prime Minister Bhattarai and other newly appointed Ministers went to the Martyrs' Memorial and laid wreath there to pay tribute to the martyrs.