July 15th 2024.
On Monday, K P Sharma Oli was sworn in as Nepal's Prime Minister for the fourth time. He is now leading a new coalition government that faces the challenging task of providing political stability in our Himalayan nation. As the leader of Nepal's largest communist party, Oli was appointed by President Ram Chandra Paudel on Sunday to lead the coalition government with the Nepali Congress and other smaller parties.
At 72 years old, Oli takes the reins from former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as "Prachanda," who recently lost a vote of confidence in the House of Representatives. This led to the formation of the new government. Oli, who is the Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist, was sworn in by President Paudel at Shital Niwas, the main building of Rashtrapati Bhawan. However, the ceremony was delayed by more than half an hour due to some issues within the Nepali Congress party.
Aside from Oli, the President also administered oaths to two Deputy Prime Ministers and 19 other ministers. The new cabinet includes Arzoo Rana Deuba, wife of Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, as the Foreign Minister. Outgoing Prime Minister Prachanda was also present at the ceremony, which was attended by foreign diplomats and other dignitaries.
Earlier on Sunday, President Paudel had officially appointed Oli as the new Prime Minister under Article 76-2 of the Constitution of Nepal. This came after Oli had staked his claim with the backing of NC President Deuba and submitted the signatures of 165 members from the House of Representatives, including 77 from his own party and 88 from the Nepali Congress.
Moving forward, Oli will have to secure a vote of confidence from Parliament within 30 days of his appointment. This is likely to be an easy task as the minimum number to form a government in the 275-strong HoR is just 138. However, there are still concerns over the stability of this "unnatural" Congress-Communist coalition, as the country has seen 14 governments in the past 16 years.
The priority for this new Oli government, as it was for its predecessors, will be to revive the stagnant economy. The Kathmandu Post newspaper stated in an editorial that a message of political stability from the two-thirds majority will be helpful. However, there is still a justified suspicion over the longevity of this coalition. The editorial also pointed out that Oli must be willing to make some personal adjustments and reach out to coalition partners and even the opposition parties to avoid another collapse of the government.
In the end, the success of this coalition will depend on Oli's ability to work with others and avoid his "authoritarian streak." If he chooses to go it alone, the coalition will surely implode. The responsibility falls on Oli to prove his critics wrong and bring stability to our country.
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