A week after Maoist Centre chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal became the prime minister, leaders of the coalition partners are still waiting for his go-ahead to pick ministers from their respective parties.

Leaders the Post spoke with said they are unable to finalise the names of the ministers as they haven’t yet been informed about the portfolios they will be assigned in the power sharing arrangement among the coalition partners.

An eight-member cabinet was formed under Prime Minister Dahal’s leadership on December 26, a day after his appointment. The cabinet will be expanded only after the Parliament session starts on January 9.

Leaders of the new parties elected for the first time to the federal parliament also said they are undecided about picking ministers. Three prominent newcomers—Rastriya Swatantra Party, Janamat Party, and Nagarik Unmukti Party—have already backed the new government.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party has already joined the eight-member cabinet, with its president Rabi Lamichhane appointed the deputy prime minister and home minister. Despite party leaders’ pronouncement ahead of the elections that it wouldn’t join the government led by ‘same old’ leaders, the party appeared keen to join the government, regardless of who led it.

Now the party has too many aspirants for ministerial posts, a party leader told the Post on the condition of anonymity. “The party is also lobbying for the post of Deputy Speaker in the lower house,” the leader said.

According to the leader, Dr Toshima Karki has shown interest in the Health Ministry, Shishir Khanal for the education ministry, and Sobita Gautam for the law ministry. Gautam is also reportedly being considered as a candidate for Deputy Speaker.

Similarly, DP Aryal and Biraj Bhakta Shrestha have also eyed ministerial posts. And both of them stand a chance if the party gets the tourism ministry, according to party insiders.

The party leaders said they will pick ministers based on the ministry they are allocated and the expertise and experience the aspirants possess.

“First, all lawmakers after elections automatically turned into aspirants. Even if some leaders are more interested, they are waiting to see which ministries the party will get,” said Mukul Dhakal, party spokesperson and general secretary. “Expertise and experience become important factors in this matter.”

The party’s joint general secretary Kabindra Burlakoti said that, in addition to expertise and experience, the public’s wish and the leaders’ actions and diligence will also matter in making decisions regarding the ministerial posts.

“We had claimed five ministries in total, but if the recent developments are any guide, we will get three or four more,” he said.

Nepali migrant workers abroad had acted as a strong voter base for the Rastriya Swatantra Party in the November polls, analysts have said. They had urged their family members back home to vote for the new party, which was also a factor that worked well.

As such, the general public has an opinion that the party should stake its claim for the Labour Ministry in the cabinet and do something for the welfare of the migrant workers.

Burlakoti added that they are prioritising on getting the Labour Ministry. “Our first priority is the Labour Ministry followed by the Health Ministry and Education Ministry,” he said.

Rastriya Swatantra Party—with 20 House of Representatives seats—has emerged as the fourth-largest force in the Parliament.

Similarly, the Janamat Party with six seats in the Parliament has also joined the new government. The party’s vice-chair Abdul Khan has already become the Minister for Industry and Commerce.

Chandan Singh, the party general secretary, said they have staked claim for one more ministry at the centre, and party chair CK Raut will make a final decision on who would be sent as a minister.

The party leaders said there are some aspirants for the ministerial posts. However, they refused to name them.

The party has also planned to look at the expertise of their leaders.

“Whatever ministry will be assigned to us, we will send a leader who has expertise and experience in the related field,” said BP Shah, a party leader.

The Nagarik Unmukti Party, however, has said it would join the cabinet with a ministerial post only if their demands are fulfilled. The party is pressuring the government to release Resham Chaudhary, who is currently behind bars after being convicted of masterminding the 2015 Tikapur massacre, and other leaders.

Last month, the Deuba-led government even brought an ordinance to grant amnesty to Chaudhary and others who have been jailed for crimes in the course of political movements, amending sub-section 116 of the National Criminal Procedures Act, 2017.

If the ordinance gets the President’s endorsement, it will allow the government to withdraw political cases pending in all courts of law.