Kathmandu: Former Maoist rebel chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, known as ‘Prachanda’, has been appointed as Nepal’s new prime minister, bringing a stunning end to a political drama that saw power shift overnight, says dpa has reported.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed Dahal in accordance with Article 76(2) of the Constitution, the president’s office said in a statement.
Dahal is scheduled to take the oath of office on Monday and must prove he has a majority in parliament within a month.
Dahal has returned to power for the third time with the support of the main opposition CPN-UML and about a dozen other peripheral parties. Hours later, his party broke away from the ruling coalition led by his outgoing Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.
According to the Kathmandu Post, Dahal has the support of a total of 169 parliamentarians in a 275-strong parliament.
Dahal’s appointment came as a surprise, as his party, the CPN (Maoist Center), won 32 seats in the recent general elections, well ahead of third place.
Dahal’s appointment may have resolved immediate government uncertainty, but it is expected to deepen political instability in the South Asian nation, which has had 12 governments since 2008.Bernama
