Cabinet to get full shape only after newly split parties get recognition

KATHMANDU: The Council of Ministers led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is likely to take one more week to get a full shape.

The cabinet is not likely to be expanded unless the Nepal-Khanal and Thakur-Mahato factions receive recognition from the Election Commission (EC).

The Nepal-Khanal faction of the CPN-UML has registered CPN-UML (Socialist) and Thakur-Mahato faction of the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) as Janata Samajwadi Party (Democratic) at the EC following the ordinance on the party split issued by the government.

President Bidya Bhandari on Wednesday issued the ordinance on the party split on the recommendation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

It will take at least one week for the EC to grant recognition in line with the ordinance to the newly broken away parties that have filed applications at the EC seeking recognition of new parties, an official at the EC said.

Prime Minister Deuba will expand the cabinet including the Nepal-Khanal and Thakur-Mahato factions after they receive recognition from the EC.

A meeting of top leaders of the ruling coalition at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar on Thursday agreed not to expand the cabinet until disgruntled factions of the UML and JSP get an official recognition for their new parties from the EC.