Nepal’s parliament on Sunday chose veteran politician KP Sharma Oli as the new prime minister, weeks after the quake-devastated country adopted a new constitution, the speaker announced.
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Sources pointed out that the congratulatory message sent by PM Narendra Modi had expressed the hope that Oli will address all outstanding political issues confronting the country.
Nepal’s new prime minister has taken the oath of office and appointed the leaders of groups that are protesting the new constitution as his deputies.
Mr Oli, leader of the centre-left Communist Party of Nepal (UML), did win support in parliament from a group from the lowland Tarai region that had opposed the constitution.
Oli inherits a nation with a range of political and economic challenges, including ongoing reconstruction after a devastating series of earthquakes earlier this year and, more recently, a crisis over the representativeness of the country’s new constitution.
Except the Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum-Democratic led by Bijaya Gachhadar, all other Madhesi lawmakers voted in favour of Oli’s rival, former premier and NC chief Sushil Koirala.
The third largest and fourth largest party in parliament supported Oli while Koirala got support of only a few fringe parties.
These shifts in Oli’s positions suggest a thaw in approach both to India and the Madhesi community that reflected in the hint of optimism that laced Modi’s congratulatory call to his Nepal counterpart on Sunday, the officials, who spoke today on condition of anonymity, suggested. India has closed its border to trade with Nepal, citing security concerns, though critics have alleged that New Delhi was pressuring Nepal to amend the constitution in favor of the Madhesi, which share strong cultural ties with India.
The amendment addresses two of the major demands of Madhesis and Tharus, who had been agitating against the new constitution in southern Nepal blockading highways and border points with India.
Oli has accused India of being behind the blockade that started on September 24 to protest against the charter.
Among the ministers allotted portfolios, Kharel will be minister for law, justice, Constituent Assembly and parliamentary affairs; Gajurel is the agricultural development minister and Panday will head the industry ministry.
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The political situation in Nepal remains in flux.
