K P Sharma Oli appointed Nepal's new Prime Minister

K P Sharma Oli. Pic/AFP

K P Sharma Oli, the leader of Nepal's largest communist party, was appointed Nepal's Prime Minister for a fourth term on Sunday to lead a new coalition government that faces the daunting challenge of providing political stability in the Himalayan nation.

Oli, 72, succeeds Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' who lost the vote of confidence in the House of Representatives on Friday, leading to the formation of the new government process as per Article 76 (2) of the Constitution.

President Ram Chandra Paudel appointed Oli, Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), as the new Prime Minister under Article 76-2 of the Constitution of Nepal, according to a notice issued by the President's Office.

Oli became the Prime Minister with the support of the Nepali Congress, the largest party in Parliament.

Oli's swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to take place at 11 am on Monday at Shital Niwas, the main building of Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Oli now needs to secure a vote of confidence from Parliament within 30 days of appointment according to the constitutional mandate. Oli will a need a minimum of 138 votes in the 275-seat House of Representatives (HoR).

On Friday night, Oli staked his claim to become the next Prime Minister with the backing of NC president Sher Bahadur Deuba and submitted the signatures of 165 House of Representatives (HoR) members -- 77 from his Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) party and 88 from the Nepali Congress. (NC).

CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman Prachanda lost the vote of confidence in HoR during a floor test on Friday.

Earlier last week, Nepali Congress president Deuba and CPN-UML chairman Oli inked a seven-point deal to form a new coalition government replacing Prachanda. The two leaders agreed that the remaining term of the Parliament would be shared between them turn by turn.

According to the July 1 deal between Congress chief Deuba and UML chair Oli, the two parties will lead the government on a rotational basis until next general elections scheduled for 2027.

Prime Minister Oli will form a small cabinet on Monday, according to sources close to him.

Other political parties including Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, Lokatantrik Samajwadi Party, Janamat Party and Nagarik Unmukti Party are also likely to join the government.

Oli served as Nepal's prime minister from October 11, 2015, to August 3, 2016 and then, from February 5, 2018, to July 13, 2021. He continued to serve from May 13, 2021, to July 13, 2021 -- because of an appointment by the then President Bidya Devi Bhandari, described by local media as a success of Oli's Machiavellian tricks. Later, the Supreme Court ruled that Oli's claim to the post of prime minister was unconstitutional.

Nepal has faced frequent political turmoil as the country has seen 14 governments in the past 16 years after the Republican system was introduced.

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