Nepal's new prime minister expanded his Cabinet today by appointing eight new ministers including a deputy prime minister, according to AP. Madhav Kumar Nepal chose Bijay Kumar Gachhedar as deputy prime minister and Sujata Koirala of the Nepali Congress party as foreign minister. The prime minister had previously appointed only two Cabinet ministers. Nepal, who belongs to the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist), was elected prime minister last month with the support of most parties in parliament. Gachhedar's and Koirala's parties were key groups supporting Nepal's bid for the prime ministership. The new coalition government came to power after the last government led by former communist rebels, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), resigned following differences with the president over the sacking of the army chief. The Maoists want to integrate thousands of former rebels into the national army, which the army chief resisted. The Maoist government then fired the army chief but the president canceled the government order and reinstated the official. The president's rejection prompted the Maoists to pull out of the government.
