RJP denies representation in royal cabinet; Lama gets NC-D boot

December 8, 2005
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The Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) has denied any representation in the new Council of Ministers formed by the King on Wednesday, even as senior leader Buddhiman Tamang joined the royal cabinet as Industry, Commerce and Supplies minister.

RJP chairman and former Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa in a statement Thursday said Central Working Committee member Tamang didn’t seek permission from the party before joining the government.

The RJP chief also ruled out the possibility of any representation of the party in the present government, maintaining that Wednesday’s cabinet reshuffle was not going to lead to solution of the present political crisis facing the country.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress (Democratic) in a statement today announced that the party has expelled Mani Lama, a central leader who joined the royal cabinet as minister of state for Health and Population, from the general membership of the party.

The NC (D) is an ally in the seven-party coalition that is waging a movement against royal autocracy.

In another development, six Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) leaders including Kamal Thapa, Roshan Karki and Bhuwan Pathank who joined the government yesterday, met party president Pashupati Shumsher Rana in a bid to convince him to announce official representation of the RPP in the government.

Thapa was appointed as Home Minister while Brajesh Kumar Gupta was appointed as minister of state for Physical Planning while Karki and Pathank got the posts of assistant ministers for Local Development and Education and Sports in the 35-member cabinet. Two other RPP central leaders – Toran Bahadur Gurung and Pratap Ram Lohar – also found place in the cabinet as assistant ministers.

RPP sources said party chairman Rana told the ‘defectors’ that the party would make an announcement after a meeting of the Central Committee very soon.