Maoist ministers sworn-in in Nepal

Four Maoist ministers were sworn-in here today, almost three months after they parted ways from the Nepal Government.

Kathmandu, Dec 31 : Four Maoist ministers were sworn-in here today, almost three months after they parted ways from the Nepal Government.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala administered the oath of office and secrecy to the four ministers at the State Hall in Singha Durbar, reported the Nepalnews.

The Maoist ministers -- Krishna Bahadur Mahara (Information and Communication), Dev Gurung (Local Development), Hisila Yami (Physical Planning and Works) and Pampha Bhusal (Women, Children and Social Welfare) -- took oath today.

Mahara leads the Maoist team in the interim Cabinet.

Another Maoist minister Matrika Yadav, who holds the Forest and Soil Conservation portfolio, did not take oath as he was out of the Valley.

Koirala had appointed the five Maoist ministerial candidates on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters after the swearing-in ceremony, Koirala said the main focus of the government is to conduct the Constituent Assembly elections on time.

He said the government would fix the poll date in the next Cabinet meeting.

Maoist ministers had resigned from the interim government on September 18 in protest against Koirala-led Government's lukewarm response to their demands for declaring the Himalayan nation as a "republic" and a fully proportional electoral system for the Constituent Assembly election.

Last week, the Nepal interim Parliament passed the Constitution Amendment Bill to declare Nepal a federal democratic republic, to be implemented by the first meeting of Constituent Assembly.

ANI