King reshuffles cabinet

KATHMANDU, Dec 7 In a major reshuffle of the cabinet since he seized power on February 1, King Gyanendra added 20 new faces to his council of ministers on Wednesday, increasing the total number of ministers to 34.
The king has inducted four new cabinet rank ministers -- Keshar Bahadur Bista, Kamal Thapa, Buddhi Man Tamang and Narayan Singh Pun -- and five state ministers. Likewise he has added 10 assistant ministers and promoted two assistant ministers to state minister.
Six cabinet ministers -Krishna Lal Thakali, Durga Shrestha, Dan Bahadur Shahi, Khadga Bahadur GC, Ram Narayan Singh and Madhukar Shumsher Rana have lost their jobs. Similarly two assistant ministers -- Jagat Gauchan and Senate Shrestha have also been removed from the council of ministers.
Vice-Chairman of the Council of Ministers Kriti Nidhi Bista and Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Buddhi Raj Bajracharya will have no portfolios in the new cabinet.
Most of the newly inducted faces come from a Panchayat background and the rest are individuals who have left the political parties. The expansion of the cabinet also demonstrates the king's uncompromising attitude toward mainstream political parties