Nepal: President Paudel Appoints KP Oli As Next PM, To Be Sworn In Tomorrow

Following the deadline for staking claims to the Prime Minister’s position, Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Paudel appointed KP Sharma Oli (72) as the next Prime Minister. Oli was the only leader to stake his claim with the support of the Nepali Congress.

President Paudel summoned political parties in the Nepali parliament on Friday evening to assert their claims for the Prime Minister’s post after Pushpa Kamal Dahal lost a confidence motion. The President’s action was in accordance with Article 76(2) of the Constitution.

“Honourable President Shree Ram Chandra Paudel as per Article 76 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal has appointed member of the House of Representatives Shree KP Sharma Oli as the Prime Minister of Nepal,” the President’s Office said in a statement.

The statement mentions that Oli’s swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for Monday at 11 am (NST). Discussions among parties are underway to finalize the induction of a group of ministers into the cabinet alongside Oli.

Following the results of the confidence vote, Oli and Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba jointly submitted an application to the President, requesting the appointment of the UML chief as the new Prime Minister on Friday evening. Supported by the Nepali Congress and smaller parties, Oli presented signatures from 165 lawmakers, asserting majority support in parliament for the Prime Minister’s position.

According to the Constitution of Nepal, a Prime Minister needs to secure a majority of at least 138 votes in the 275-member House of Representatives to assume office. Oli first became Prime Minister in October 2015, shortly after the constitution was promulgated that year, and held the position until August 2016. Additionally, the Prime Minister is required to seek a vote of confidence within 30 days of appointment to demonstrate their parliamentary support.

After the general elections in 2017, Oli garnered support by promoting nationalist sentiments aligned with China, leading to the formation of a government that lasted from February 2018 to May 2021. Subsequently, Oli was reinstated as Prime Minister under constitutional provisions in May 2021, serving until July 2021 after asserting his claim as the leader of the largest party in parliament.

During his tenure of approximately three years, Oli dissolved the parliament on two occasions, with the Supreme Court subsequently reinstating it through a judicial order. On July 2, the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML signed an agreement to allocate 9 and 8 ministries, respectively, within the council of ministers.

According to the agreement between Congress leader Deuba and UML chairman Oli, the two parties will alternate leadership of the government until the next general elections in 2027. However, the specifics of the agreement have not been disclosed to the public as of now.