Nepal’s Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli was inaugurated as prime minister on Monday (Jul 15), following the formation of a coalition government between his Communist Party and the centre-left Nepali Congress.
Oli, 72, leader of the Communist Party of Nepal—Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), returns to the prime ministerial post for the fourth time.
During the swearing-in ceremony, administered by President Ram Chandra Poudel, Oli pledged his commitment to the constitution and his duties as prime minister.
Oli first became prime minister in 2015 and was reelected in 2018, leading a rare majority government.
He briefly served again in 2021.
His return follows the ousting of his predecessor, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, after a failed vote of confidence.
Dahal, a former Maoist guerrilla commander, was compelled to resign when Oli’s party withdrew its support, leading to a new alliance with Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress.
Oli has agreed to eventually hand over the prime ministerial role to Deuba, 78, a five-time former prime minister, later in the parliamentary term.
The next general elections in Nepal are scheduled for 2027.
Nepal transitioned to a federal republic in 2008 following a decade-long civil war and a peace agreement that integrated the Maoists into the government and ended the monarchy.
Oli’s political career began in a village in east Nepal.
He rose through the ranks of the communist party, spending 14 years in prison for his opposition to the autocratic monarchy, which banned political parties until 1990.
The monarchy was officially abolished in 2008, following a series of democratic reforms.
In addition to his political journey, Oli has faced health challenges, having undergone two kidney transplants.
