KATHMANDU, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Friday gave a full shape to his cabinet nearly three months after taking office by introducing 16 ministers and two state ministers from four ruling parties.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office to the newcomers, including five from the Nepali Congress, four from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), five from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) and four from the Janata Samajbadi Party.

"President Bhandari has administered an oath of office and secrecy to 16 ministers in addition to two state ministers," Jagannath Panta, a spokesperson for the President's Office, told Xinhua.

Among the ministers, Minendra Rijal from the Nepali Congress headed by Deuba takes over the Ministry of Defence.

Deuba took office on July 13 as head of a five-party coalition, but had only five ministers and one state minister under his command for nearly three months, well short of the 25-member target as envisioned under Nepal's constitution.

The Rastriya Janamorcha Party, which has only one lawmaker, does not take a post in the cabinet despite being part of the coalition. Enditem

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