Kathmandu: A meeting of the new ruling alliance kicked off at the Federal Parliament Building, New Baneshwor.
The meeting attended by top leaders in the parties in the newly formed alliance is expected to finalise names of some ministers in the post-election government before the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’. The new Prime Minister is scheduled to take an oath before the Head-of-the-State at 4:00 pm today.
According to Prime Minister-elect Dahal’s private secretary Ramesh Malla, CPN (UML) Chair KP Sharma Oli, CPN (Maoist Centre) senior Vice-Chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha and leader Hitraj Pandey, Rastriya Swatantra Party Chairman Rabi Lamichhane, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Chairman Rajendra Lingden and former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai are among those leaders attending the meeting.
Prior to this, parties in the alliance spend time for intra-party discussions in view of the participation in the government. The CPN (Maoist Centre) held a meeting of the office-bearers this morning while the CPN (UML) leaders gathered at Chairman Oli’s residence in Balkot. Likewise, the Rastriya Swatantra Party and RPP sat for intra-party consultations.
Prachanda was appointed the Prime Minister by the President as per the Article 76 (2) of the Constitution on Sunday with the support of 169 lawmakers.
Meanwhile, the CPN (Maoist Centre) has made a decision by which party chairman and Prime Minister-elect Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ will form a small-size Cabinet today itself after taking the oath of office and secrecy.
A meeting of the party’s office-bearers held at the party central office Perisdanda today also decided to include the party’s senior leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha in the Cabinet. However, it is not finalized which ministry’s responsibility he would be assigned, party spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari is scheduled to administer the oath of office and secrecy to the newly-appointed Prime Minister Dahal at the Office of the President, Sheetal Niwas, at 4.0pm today.
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