The Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal (aka “Prachanda”), who is scheduled to leave on a five-day visit to China tomorrow, administered the oath of office to eight Cabinet Ministers -- four from his own CPN-Maoist party and four from the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MJF).
The key Maoist ally CPN-UML (Leninist party) spurned the oath-taking at the last minute, citing dissatisfaction with the hierarchy of the ministers.
The Maoist members include Dr. Baburam Bhattarai (Minister of Finance),
(for my interviews with Dr. Bhattarai click: Dunham's Interviews
Ram Bahadur Thapa (Minister of Defense),
Dev Gurung (Minister of Law and Justice)
and Krishna Bahadur Mahara (Minister of Information and Communication).
The ministers from MJF include party chairman Upendra Yadav (Minister of Foreign Affairs),
Bijay Kumar Gachhadar (Minister of Works and Transport), Jay Prakash Gupta (Minister of Agriculture) and Renu Yadav (Minister of Education).
For the other Cabinet positions the UML had recommended Bamdev Gautam (Deputy PM and Home Minister), Bishnu Poudel (Minister of Water Resource), Astha Laxmi Shakya (Minister of Industries and Commerce), Ram Chandra Jha (Minister of Local Development), Kiran Gurung (Minister of Forest and Soil Conservation) and Gopal Shakya (Minister ofYouth and Sports).
Although some of the UML leaders had arrived prepared to take the oath, at the last minute they bowed out of actually participating in the ceremony.
In terms of hierarchy, it seems clear that Prachanda’s long-time deputy, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, is second in line after the Prime Minister.
Prachanda selection of Ram Bahadur Thapa (nom de guerre “Badal”) may prove to be a prickly one. Thapa is seen as a hardliner among the Maoists and was the commander of the once feared guerrillas who, beginning in 1996, waged a decade-long war against the monarchy. This cannot be an easy “fit” for the National Army leaders.
What is apparent is that this new coalition government, led by the Maoists, must try to bridge ethnic and social divides, address the grievances of war victims' families and quickly tackle chronic fuel and food shortages.
Said the new Prime Minister earlier this week: "It is quite clear that the peace process has to be taken to a logical conclusion and it will be my priority to prepare a new constitution."
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