Nepali King Gyanendra on Monday reshuffled the Council of
Ministers, or Cabinet, by appointing new ministers, Press
Secretariat of the Royal Palace (PSRP) said.
"Nepali King Gyanendra expanded the cabinet on the
recommendation of the Prime Minister Girja Prasad Koirala formed
under Koirala's chairmanship on May 2, 2006," PSRP said in a press
statement.
The expanded cabinet now has 12 ministers, five of whom are new,
and six state ministers, all of whom are new.
The seven-member cabinet, which was formed three weeks ago,
hadnot yet taken full shape.
The present cabinet now includes seven members from the Nepali
Congress Party, six from the Communist Party of Nepal United
Marxist and Leninist, four from the Nepali Congress Party
(Democratic) and one from the United Left Font.
Earlier, the Seven-Party Alliance (SPA) had agreed to form the
cabinet with representation of all constituents of the SPA, but
there was no representation of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi)
and People's Front Nepal in the expanded cabinet.
The Nepal Workers and Peasants Party has already said it will
not participate in the government.
(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2006)