NC and UML Finalize Ministerial Division Ahead of New Government Formation

The Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-UML have finalized the division of ministries ahead of the formation of the new government. Leaders from both parties confirmed the agreement before CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli's appointment as the new Prime Minister on Sunday evening. Under the agreement, the CPN-UML will manage seven ministries, including the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT), while the NC will handle the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the agreement between the two largest parties in parliament, the UML will lead the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MoCIT), the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MOEST), the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS), and the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation (MOLCPA) apart from MoPIT and the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation (MoEWRI), Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA), and the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs have been allocated for the NC.

The two parties are yet to resolve the issue regarding the allocation of the Ministry of Defense. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS), Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens (MoWCSC), Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, and Ministry of Water Supply have been kept for fringe parties.

In related developments, the Office of the President has sent an invitation to all Members of Parliament (MPs) to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the newly appointed Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Before Oli's appointment as the Prime Minister, the Office of the President sent a correspondence to the Parliament Secretariat inviting all MPs to participate in the ceremony, scheduled for 11 AM on Monday.