Nepali King Gyanendra on Monday reshuffled the Council of Ministers, or Cabinet, by appointing new ministers, Press Secretariat of the Royal Palace (PSRP) said.

"Nepali King Gyanendra expanded the cabinet on the recommendation of the Prime Minister Girja Prasad Koirala formed under Koirala's chairmanship on May 2, 2006," PSRP said in a press statement.

The expanded cabinet now has 12 ministers, five of whom are new, and six state ministers, all of whom are new.

The seven-member cabinet, which was formed three weeks ago, hadnot yet taken full shape.

The present cabinet now includes seven members from the Nepali Congress Party, six from the Communist Party of Nepal United Marxist and Leninist, four from the Nepali Congress Party (Democratic) and one from the United Left Font.

Earlier, the Seven-Party Alliance (SPA) had agreed to form the cabinet with representation of all constituents of the SPA, but there was no representation of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi) and People's Front Nepal in the expanded cabinet.

The Nepal Workers and Peasants Party has already said it will not participate in the government.

(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2006)