SHER BAHADUR DEUBA APPOINTED PM OF NEPAL
KATHMANDU: Sher Bahadur Deuba, president of the Nepali Congress (NC) Party, on Tuesday became the country’s prime minister for the fifth time, a day after the Supreme Court had ordered that he should appointed premier.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed 75-year-old Deuba, the opposition leader, as the prime minister, who replaces KP Sharma Oli for the post.
KATHMANDU: Sher Bahadur Deuba, president of the Nepali Congress (NC) Party, on Tuesday became the country’s prime minister for the fifth time, a day after the Supreme Court had ordered that he should appointed premier.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed 75-year-old Deuba, the opposition leader, as the prime minister in accordance with the constitution on Tuesday. He replaces K P Sharma Oli.
“In line with the apex court’s verdict, President Bhandari named Deuba as the prime minister,” Bhesh Raj Adhikary, personal secretary of Bhandari, told reporters. “A programme to administer the oath of office and secrecy to Deuba will be held later.”
Previously, Deuba served as Nepal’s PM four times: from June 2017 to February 2018, June 2004 to February 2005, July 2001 to October 2002, and September 1995 to March 1997.
Deuba is now required to seek a vote of confidence from the House within 30 days of his appointment as PM.
The Supreme Court on Monday overturned ousted PM Oli’s May 21 decision to dissolve the House of Representatives and ordered that Deuba replace him at the helm.
A five-member constitutional bench led by chief justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana ruled that Oli’s claim to the post of prime minister was unconstitutional.
The bench also called for the restoration of the House of Representatives that had been dissolved by the president on the insistence of Oli earlier this summer.
According to Nepali Congress sources, Deuba would form a small cabinet comprising the NC and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) representatives among others after formally taking charge as the country’s premier.
In the initial days, a five to seven-member cabinet would be formed under Deuba’s leadership, senior leader of the CPNMaoist Centre, Ganesh Shah, told PTI. Later, the Upendra Yadav-led faction of the Janata Samajwadi Party would likely join the government, he said.