Pulls And Pressures

The recent cabinet reshuffle is a part of broader power sharing

By KESHAB POUDEL

After forming the government under his chairmanship back in 1, February 2005, King Gyanendra has, for the fourth time, reshuffled the cabinet dropping six ministers of previous cabinet and inducting new faces.

The removal of Home Minister Dan Bahadur Shahi, who ordered suspension of all helicopter charter service of Karnali Air following an incident on which a helicopter owned by the Airlines was reportedly found supplying medical and other commodities to the Maoist insurgents in mid-west – was very unusual. Though Shahi – who is facing a case in the apex court on charges of irregularities – remained a main target of populist media – he was one of the few most loyal ministers of the King.

The induction of former Royal Nepalese Army Colonel N.S. Pun- owner of Karnali Air and one of the representatives of the last government-Maoist talks – is another interesting point to note.

New members take oath: Significant mixture

Appointment of Kamal Thapa, whose singular and strong loyalty to the monarch, as a Home Minister seems to be guided by the motivation of the palace to keep security under its own command. Similarly, removal of Minister of General Administration Krishna Lal Thakali, a loyal royal, who has been there for last two years in two different cabinets also is meaningful. Handing over of the general administration portfolio with command of more than 90,000 civil servants to Badri Prasad Mandal, chairman of Nepal Sadbhavana Party, is equally interesting in the power sharing.

Leader of a recently established party Keshar Bahadur Bista was inducted in the government with the portfolio of Agriculture and Cooperatives. Bista, in the past, had resigned as a general secretary of RPP-Thapa and joined Nepali Congress. But he quit the membership of National Assembly following NC’s denial of ticket to fight elections for the position of member of House of Representatives. Bista, who has a strong political base in his home constituency in Lalitpur, is a son of Dor Bahadur Bista, a prominent anthropologist who is known for describing the conflict nature of Nepalese society and ethnic groups.

At a time when the first round of initial talks for the negotiations for Nepal-India Transit Treaty ended inconclusively last week, Buddhiman Tamang, one of the trustees of former prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa, is inducted as a minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.

Second vice chairman Kirtinidhi Bista, reported to be China’s friend – is without any portfolio. However, the first vice chairman Dr. Tulsi Giri, who returned from two decades of exile in India – retains the most powerful and important portfolio of Water Resource. Buddhi Raj Bajracharya is still retained as a minister but his portfolio was given to newly promoted state minister of Tourism.

Similarly, royal relative and Finance Minister Madhukar SJB Rana, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Durga Shrestha and Minister for Labor and Transport Management Ram Narayan Singh were removed.

Foreign minister Ramesh Nath Pandey – journalist-turned-all-weather-politician with capacity of political maneuvering and the only upper house member to be twice nominated by the King – retains his important portfolio. Pandey, who also held the ministerial portfolio in all-party election government led by Girija Prasad Koirala, reportedly pursued CPN-UML to endorse the Mahakali Integrated Treaty in the past.

Minister for Sports and Education Radha Krishna Mainali, a former Naxalite leader and one of the three politicians who met late King Birendra in 1990 as a representative of United Left Front to end political deadlock and Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Niranjan Thapa, who held the home ministry portfolio at the time of People’s Movement in 1990, have retained their portfolio.

Newly appointed minister of State for Information and Communication Shrish Sumsher J.B. Rana, a nephew of former army chief Satchit Sumsher J.B. Rana is a freelance journalist. Reportedly portrayed as a hardliner, Rana’s family has long association with the army.

Another newly appointed minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare Durga Pokharel has many ups and downs in her political career. Having started her career as a Congress worker, Pokharel later left the party and married a foreigner. After her return to Nepal, she was appointed as the chairman of National Women Commission by Nepali Congress government led by Sher Bahadur Deuba. Mother of two children, Pokharel is strong advocate for providing Nepali citizenship rights to the children on the basis of mother’s name.

Recently promoted as the minister of State for Finance, Roop Jyoti, a Harvard-educated businessman, is a gentleman and nominated member of National Assembly. His family business group of Jyoti has had long business relations with Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. Newly appointed minister of State for Health and Population Mani Lama was also a former Congress MP. 

Although King Gyanendra dismissed some of his very close loyalists, inducted new faces, promoted some and transferred some, he still kept the ministries related to the security under his own command. By expanding the cabinet up to thirty-five members, King Gyanendra tries to accommodate all the factions, power centers and persons with different degrees of loyalty.