Kathmandu: Three newly-appointed ministers, including former electricity board CEO Kulman Ghising, in the Sushila Karki-led interim government in Nepal took the oath of office Monday.
President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office to the new ministers at a ceremony at the President’s Office, Sheetal Niwas, which was damaged during the recent violent protests. The event was organised under a tent.
The Cabinet, mandated to hold parliamentary polls within six months, now has four members, including Prime Minister Karki, who will oversee the remaining ministerial portfolios.
Karki, 73, became Nepal’s first woman prime minister Sunday, ending days of political uncertainty after the ouster of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli following youth-led ‘Gen Z’ protests against his government over corruption and a government ban on social media.
Ghising, former Nepal Electricity Authority CEO, has taken charge of three portfolios: energy, water resources and irrigation; physical infrastructure and transport; and urban development, while former finance secretary Rameshwor Khanal has been sworn in as Finance Minister.
Om Prakash Aryal, a prominent lawyer who played a key role in the recent Gen Z negotiations, has been sworn in as Minister for Home Affairs and for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
Soon after the swearing-in ceremony, the ministers assumed their respective offices.
Home Minister Aryal said the interim government aims to conduct the election on time in a free and impartial atmosphere.
Talking to the media after assuming his office, Aryal said the government was formed with this explicit mandate to conduct free and fair elections.
According to Aryal, rebuilding physical structures damaged during the recent demonstrations and guaranteeing good governance will be equal priorities of the government.
“If those displaced by the revolt see a path for reentry, they must test themselves through the election and seek a citizens’ mandate,” he said
He also vowed an investigation into the alleged excessive use of force during the demonstrations that led to the death of 72 people.
Ghising, who was removed from the post in March by the Oli-led government after a dispute over the recovery of dues from dedicated and trunk lines, is credited with playing a crucial role in ending chronic power cuts during his tenure.
Appointed as energy minister in the Karki government, his first decision is to pursue the collection of dues from dedicated and trunk lines. According to NEA, around Rs 7 billion remains unpaid by 28 industries using such lines, My Republica newspaper reported.
Khanal, a former finance secretary, earlier chaired the High-Level Economic Reform Recommendation Commission and submitted a 447-page reform report to the Oli government.
Karki, who served as the Supreme Court’s chief justice in 2016 and 2017, was appointed as the Prime Minister at the recommendation of the ‘Gen Z’ group to head the caretaker government, which is mandated to conduct fresh elections March 5, 2026.
Oli quit last Tuesday shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office demanding his resignation.
PTI
