New Indian cabinet in trouble from the start

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s new cabinet braced for trouble today after an allied coalition party asked its ministers not to start working until it gets the appointments it says it was promised.

After a long spell of wrangling within his multiparty coalition, Singh announced ministry postings, including that of Palaniappan Chidambaram – a lawyer who went to Harvard Business School – as finance minister. The appointment cheered the stock markets.