Following the deadline for staking a claim to the Prime Minister's position, Nepal President Ram Chandra Paudel has designated KP Sharma Oli (72) as the forthcoming Prime Minister. Oli is the sole leader who has asserted his claim for the post with the backing of the Nepali Congress. President Paudel convened the political parties within the Nepali Parliament on Friday night to assert their claims for the Prime Minister's role after Pushpa Kamal Dahal failed to secure a confidence vote. The President invoked Article 76 (2) of the Constitution to call for claims.
"Honorable President Shree Ram Chandra Paudel, in accordance with Article 76 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal, has appointed KP Sharma Oli, a member of the House of Representatives, as the Prime Minister of Nepal," announced the President's Office in an official statement. The swearing-in ceremony for Oli is slated for 11 am (NST) on Monday. Concurrently, a set of ministers will be appointed to the cabinet, with ongoing discussions among the parties.
Oli and Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba co-signed an application urging the President to appoint the UML leader as the new Prime Minister on Friday evening, immediately following the confidence vote results. Oli, supported by the Nepali Congress and smaller parties, presented the signatures of 165 lawmakers, asserting a majority in Parliament for the Prime Ministership. The Constitution requires a Prime Minister to secure more than 138 votes in the 275-member House of Representatives to assume office. Oli first served as Prime Minister in October 2015, shortly after the constitution's enactment, and held the position until August 2016.
Additionally, the Prime Minister must secure a confidence vote within 30 days of appointment to validate his support. After the 2017 general elections, Oli, who capitalized on nationalist sentiments aligned with China, established a government and remained in power from February 2018 to May 2021. Oli was again appointed Prime Minister under constitutional provision 76 (3) from May 2021 to July 2021, claiming the role as the parliamentary leader of the largest party.
During his approximately three-year tenure, Oli twice dissolved Parliament, actions that were later reversed by the Supreme Court through mandamus. The Nepali Congress and CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist) reached an agreement on July 2 to allocate 9 and 8 ministries, respectively, within the council of ministers. According to the July 2 agreement between Congress leader Deuba and UML chairman Oli, the two parties will govern on a rotational basis until the next general elections in 2027. However, this agreement has yet to be made public.
