BY THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
18 March 2023, Rajagriha: In a mega reshuffle and expansion of the union council of ministers headed by Prime Minister Farhaz Hazarika, two new ministers were sworn-in into office. This is the first expansion of the union council of ministers since its formation on 12 November 2022 after the general election.
Ahead of the cabinet reshuffle, Minister of State for National Development, Education, Health, Citizens' Welfare and Population Christian Laudani submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister which was further accepted by the Rashtradhyaksh.
In a communique issued from the royal palace on Saturday morning read that His Illustrious and Royal Majesty the Rashtradhyaksh has been pleased to act at the advice of the Prime Minister to appoint former Prime Minister Ștefan Marius Snagoveanu as a cabinet minister and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Devin Purcell as a minister of state.
Both names were surprising inductions as both Snagoveanu and Purcell were MPs belonging to the opposition Vishwamitran National Party. Snagoveanu had earlier resigned from the VNP following Toyotomi-Kim Tatsumi being nominated as party chair after the founder chair Rory McPhail's resignation while Purcell who was also the party's director resigned yesterday and the duo are accepted to form a new front allying with the ruling National People's Congress.
Snagoveanu has been appointed as Senior Minister and will head the Ministry of National Defence, and Health, Citizens' Welfare and Population; while Devin Purcell is the Minister of State of Information and Broadcasting with independent charge, and Minister of State of External Affairs, and Finance.
Apart from the inductions, the portfolios of several ministers were changed.
Farhaz Hazarika: Prime Minister, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Social Welfare; and also in-charge of all other portfolios and policy issues not allocated to any other minister.
Arthur Lacey-Scott: Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of External Affairs, and Parliamentary Affairs (earlier also held portfolios of Law and Justice, and National Defence)
Rafe Burfield: Minister of Finance and Culture (earlier also held portfolios of External Affairs and Cabinet Affairs)
Arsal Abbas Mirza: Minister of Education, and Law and Justice (earlier held portfolio of Finance)
W. Pranit Singh: Minister of Federal Affairs and Administration (earlier also held additional portfolio of Social Welfare)
Manggala Alif Prasetia: Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge), Religious Affairs and Minority Welfare (Independent Charge), National Defence
Johannes Mattias Toome: Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs (Independent Charge), Parliamentary Affairs, and Law and Justice (earlier held portfolio of Information and Broadcasting as independent charge and served as Minister of State for Finance and External Affairs).
No changes have been made to the portfolios of First Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Princess Sarala and the Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Prime Minister's Office Preetam Kapei.
The reshuffle of the union cabinet was a long expected move since the resignation of Matthew Tonna in January 2023.