Kathmandu: Nepal's Foreign Minister
Sujata Koirala, the daughter of Nepali Congress supremo G P
Koirala, was sworn in as the Deputy Prime Minister on Monday.
56-year-old Sujata, who was administered the oath of
office by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, is the second
woman to reach the top post after Shailja Acharya, the niece
of former Prime Minister Koirala.
Sujata is the second Deputy Prime Minister after
Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar, who comes from a Madheshi ethnic
party, in the 22-party CPN-UML-led coalition government.
The Nepali Congress President had reportedly been
pressuring Nepal to appoint his daughter the deputy premier so
that the grip of the family on the party continues.
The appointment comes as Nepal's Parliament has been
deadlocked for the last three months due to the Maoists'
blockade that has stalled the peace process.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, October 12, 2009, 21:09