Kathmandu [Nepal], December 26: Former Maoist rebel chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, known as "Prachanda," has been appointed Nepal's new prime minister, bringing a surprising end to the political drama that saw power change hands overnight.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari appointed Dahal as per Article 76 (2) of the constitution, the office of the president said in a statement. Dahal is expected to take oath of the office on Monday and will need to demonstrate he has a majority in parliament within a month. Dahal returned to power for a third time with the support of the main opposition CPN-UML and around a dozen other fringe parties, hours after his party broke away from the ruling alliance led by outgoing prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Dahal has the backing of a total of 169 MPs in the 275-member strong parliament, the Kathmandu Post reported. Dahal's appointment comes as a surprise as his party, CPN (Maoist Centre) came a distant third with 32 seats in the recent general elections.
Dahal's appointment may have ended the immediate uncertainty over the government but is expected to deepen the political instability in the South Asian country, which has seen a dozen governments since 2008.
Source: Qatar Tribune
