After initial hitches, the council of ministers is likely to be expanded next week, according to the leaders of the Seven Party Alliance (SPA).

Talking to Nepalnews, UML standing committee member Bam Dev Gautam said the council of ministers will be expanded as soon as the constituents of the SPA complete their internal homework.

According to Gautam, the SPA has agreed to form the cabinet of up to 17 members. H edenied reports that there had been differences within the CPN (UML) over the issue of allocation of portfolios.

UML standing committee member, Pradip Nepal, resigned from his post last week citing policy differences over the formation of the new government.

Gautam, however, dismissed Pradip Nepal’s statement saying that there was no policy difference with regard to the formation of the new cabinet.

According to reports, UML was demanding either Home or Defense portfolio in the coalition government. In the seven member cabinet announced early this week, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala holds defense portfolio while his party colleague, Krishna Sitaula, has been assigned with the home portfolio.

Even Nepali Congress leaders were said to be dissatisfied with the appointment of new ministers. They said they came to know about the appointments only from the state-run Radio Nepal. An NC leader, however, tried to downplay the differences.

“Hundreds of thousands of people took to the street, thousands were injured and 19 people were killed fighting for people’s sovereignty. So, the question of who gets the ministerial portfolio is irrelevant in the wake of people’s sentiments,” said Arjun Nasingh KC, central committee member of the NC.

“There was no dispute in the NC regarding the name of the candidates to join the government although some members have expressed reservation over the process,” he added.

Pari Thapa, a senior leader of People’s Front Nepal– one of the constituents of the SPA– said that his party was yet to decide about its participation in the council of ministers.

“The mandate of the people’s movement is to form an all party government and the SPA members are busy in their internal meetings to decide the issue,” he added.

The SPA is government is under tremendous pressure to deliver the goods and move quickly towards holding constituent assembly elections as promised by it earlier.

Thousands of activists took out rallies in different parts of the country cautioning SPA leaders not to engaged in the row over ministerial berths.

In Kathmandu, an unruly crowed manhandled UML lawmaker, Pradip Gyawali, at the gate of Singha Durbar.

Pari Thapa of the PFN said it would be unfortunate if the SPA could not arrive at consensus on preliminary issues like forming of a cabinet. “We have to move very fast and we don’t have luxury to get bogged down by such issues,” he added.

Despite such claims, the SPA leadership and the newly formed government continue to be under public scrutiny regarding their performance.