Crack in coalition as Prachanda forms Cabinet

As a result, Prachanda administered oath of office to eight ministers, four each from the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) and the Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF).

Baburam Bhattarai, a key Maoist ideologue and Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’, a People’s Liberation Army commander, were sworn in as Finance and Defence Minister respectively, in presence of President Rambaran Yadav. Upendra Yadav of the MJF took over as the new Foreign Minister.

A six-member team of the CPN-UML, which was set to take oath of office, chose was not present in the President’s office during the appointed hour for oath taking.

The UML decision at the last moment was in protest against Prime Minister Dahal’s refusal to offer no two status to Bamdev Gautam, a former deputy prime minister, and senior UML leader. Dahal kept insisting that Baburam Bhattarai, an ideologue of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists, but with no ministerial experience in the past, would be number two and chair the meeting of the Council of Ministers in the Prime Minister’s absence.

The UML, the second largest constituent of the three-party alliance that will have CPN-M and MJF, had drafted its ministers led by Bamdev Gautam, Ram Chandra Jha, Bishnu Poudel, Astalakshmi Shakya, Kiran Gurung and Gopal Shakya. Gautam was to be allotted the Home portfolio.

It is not yet known whether UML’s decision to keep away from the Cabinet is final, but Maoist sources said that the Prime Minister would not allow Bhattarai’s seniority superseded by any other minister.

Besides, Bhattarai and Badal, Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Deb Gurung from the CPN-M and Bijay Gachedar, Jaya Prakash Gupta and Renu Yadav of the MJF were also inducted in the Cabinet.