Cabinet expansion to be delayed as ruling coalition meet strikes no chords

KATHMANDU:  The cabinet expansion is likely to be delayed for some days after the leaders of ruling coalition did not reach consensus on ministerial portfolios.

The meeting held at the Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar this morning did not strike a deal after the leaders did not budge away from their respective stances.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuaba, Nepali Congress General Secretary Purna Bahadur Khadka, CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda, CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal and Rastriya Janamorcha (RJM) leader Durga Paudel had participated in the meeting. Janata Samajwadi Party Chairman Upendra Yadav, however, abstained from the meeting.

After the meeting did not strike a deal on power sharing, the leaders then dwelled on how to remove the obstruction being created by the main opposition CPN-UML, according to Bhanu Deuba, the personal secretary of Prime Minister Deuba.

UML has been protesting the House meeting over the role of Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota who, according to the party, intentionally split the UML.