KP Sharma Oli has been appointed as Nepal’s Prime Minister for the fourth time, following a deal with the Nepali Congress’s Sher Bahadur Deuba to share power on a rotational basis. This appointment comes after former PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, known as ‘Prachanda,’ lost a vote of no confidence in the House of Representatives on Friday, as reported by PTI.
Dahal, who had taken office in March 2024 by aligning with KP Sharma Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPI-UML) after a vote of confidence, saw his tenure cut short. The Himalayan nation, which has witnessed 13 different governments since the monarchy was abolished in 2008, now looks to Oli for political stability.
The 72-year-old leader will form a new government under Article 76(2) of the Nepalese constitution. A notice from President Ram Chandra Paudel’s office confirmed that Oli’s swearing-in ceremony will take place at 11 am on Monday at Shital Niwas, the main building of Rashtrapati Bhawan. Oli’s new coalition government includes support from the Nepali Congress party, headed by Sher Bahadur Deuba. Oli provided a letter of support with signatures from 165 members to form the government in the 275-member House of Representatives.
Nepal’s constitution stipulates that a Prime Minister can seek a vote of no confidence only after an ally withdraws support. Of the 165 members supporting Oli, 77 are from his party (CPI-UML) and 88 are from the Nepali Congress party (NC). Last week, amid political uncertainty, Oli and Deuba signed a seven-point agreement to form a new coalition government, replacing Prachanda. The agreement specifies that the remaining term in Parliament will be shared between the two parties, with Oli leading for the next 18 months.
Several smaller political parties, including the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, Lokatantrik Samajwadi Party, Janamat Party, and Nagarik Unmukti Party, are also expected to join the new government.
Seen by India as pro-China, KP Sharma Oli previously served as Nepal’s Prime Minister twice: from October 2015 to August 2016, and from February 2018 to July 2021. His brief stint from May to July 2021 ended controversially when the Supreme Court of Nepal deemed his appointment by then-President Bidya Devi Bhandari as unconstitutional.
Oli is known for his strong stance against India, particularly during the 2015 border blockade triggered by tensions over Nepal’s new constitution. His government strengthened ties with Beijing and published an updated map claiming Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura in Uttarakhand as part of Nepal’s territory—a claim India rejected as “unilateral.” Subsequent talks between the two countries aimed to address these territorial disputes.
Sources By Agencies