Kathmandu: Former rapper Balendra Shah has been sworn in as Prime Minister of Nepal. Balendra Shah, a politician and former rapper, was officially sworn in as Prime Minister of Nepal on Friday, with his primary task of restoring political stability and creating jobs in a country plagued by long-standing government weakness and economic instability.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Shah rose to the top after his Rastriya Svatanatra (RSP) party, founded just three years ago, won 182 out of 275 seats in the House of Representatives in the March 5th election. This was the first election since the anti-corruption protests by Gen Z youth in September last year, which resulted in 76 deaths.
Mr. Shah, 35, a former mayor of Kathmandu, is the youngest leader of Nepal in decades and the first Madhesi to lead the country. This ethnic group lives in the southern plains near the Indian border. At the swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Palace, Mr. Shah appeared in a matching pantsuit and jacket, along with a black Nepalese headscarf and his signature sunglasses, surrounded by diplomats and high-ranking officials.
Political analyst Puranjan Asharia stated that the new government's first test will be to improve the transparency and speed of public services. Furthermore, a key challenge is implementing the investigation report into the violence during the protests, which recommended prosecuting those involved, including former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli.
Nepal's main problems are unemployment and deep-rooted corruption, while political instability is a chronic issue. Nepal has had 32 governments since 1990, and none have completed a full five-year term. In this election, the Nepali Congress, the oldest political party, came in second with only 38 seats, while the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-UML), led by Prime Minister Oli (who was pressured to resign during the protests), secured only 25 seats. During the transition period leading up to the election, former Chief Justice Sushila Kargi served as interim leader to maintain stability in the country until the recent election.