Chand appointed Prime Minister
New govt entrusted with ending anarchy

By A Staff Reporter

ATHMANDU, Oct 11: His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev on Friday appointed Lokendra Bahadur Chand as Prime Minister of a nine-member Council of Ministers to create a congenial atmosphere for the local and general elections at the earliest date possible and to consolidate multiparty democratic system.

The constituent of the Council of Ministers and their portfolios are as follows:

Lokendra Bahadur Chand: Prime Minister and Minister for Royal Palace Affairs, Defence, Forest and Soil Conservation, General Administration, Land Reforms and Management, Physical Planning and Works, Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Water Resources, Information and Communications, Population and Environment, Industries, Commerce and Supplies, and Labour and Transport Management.

Badri Prasad Mandal: Deputy Prime Minister; Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Local Development.

Dr. Badri Prasad Shrestha: Minister for Finance; and Education and Sports

Narendra Bikram Shah: Minister for Foreign Affairs

Dharma Bahadur Thapa: Minister for Home; and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs

Gore Bahadur Khapangi: Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare

Dr. Upendra Devkota: Minister for Health; and Science and Technology

Anuradha Koirala: Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare

Gopal Dahit: Assistant Minister for Population and Environment

Apart from carrying out the daily administration, the newly formed council of ministers has been entrusted with the following tasks:

* creating a conducive atmosphere based on national consensus to end the existing anarchy

* holding free and fair local as well as general elections at the earliest possible date to ensure institutional consolidation of multiparty democracy

* effectively introducing corruption control programmes at all levels

* ensuring good governance through service-oriented programmes for the general public, fiscal discipline and transparency

further consolidating the existing good relations with the neighbouring countries and all friendly nations

A communiqué issued by the Principal Press Secretariat of His Majesty the King on Friday states that His Majesty has expressed the hope that the cabinet will receive the necessary cooperation and support from all in the interest of Nepal and the Nepalese.

The newly appointed Prime Minister is the leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party. This is the third time he is heading a government since 1990. He was the prime minister of an interim government during the transition period of the popular movement for multi-party democracy in 1990. He was prime minister for 11 days before Krishna Prasad Bhattarai of the Nepali Congress was appointed the interim prime minister. He again became prime minister in 1997, heading a coalition government of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and the CPN-UML that lasted six months.

Chand, 63, who hails from Baitadi in Far Western Nepal, had also become prime minister 19 years ago during the partyless Panchayat order.

Badri Prasad Mandal is the acting president of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party.

Badri Prasad Shrestha is an economist and a former vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission. He was also Royal Nepalese ambassador to Japan.

Narendra Bikram Shah is a former Foreign secretary and was Royal Nepalese ambassador to the United Nations.

Dr. Upendra Devkota is a neurosurgeon. Anuradha Koirala is president of Maiti Nepal, a non-governmental organisation that has been fighting against girls trafficking.

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