KATHMANDU, Dec 25: CPN-Maoist Centre chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” was on Sunday appointed Nepal’s new Prime Minister, after the former guerrilla leader dramatically broke away from the five-party ruling alliance led by the Nepali Congress, ending the political uncertainty after last month’s general elections failed to produce a clear winner.
The surprise development may not bode well for India-Nepal ties as Prachanda and his main backer K P Sharma Oli have some run-ins with New Delhi previously over territorial issues.
Prachanda, the 68-year-old leader of former communist rebels, was appointed as the Prime Minister of Nepal, according to a statement issued by the President’s Office here.
The President had called any member of the House of Representatives, who can garner a majority with support from two or more parties as stipulated in the Article 76 clause 2 of the Constitution to submit a claim for the Prime Minister’s post by 5 pm on Sunday.
Prachanda submitted the claim before the deadline given by the President expired.
The swearing in ceremony of the newly-appointed Prime Minister will take place at 4 pm on Monday, according to the President’s Office.
Prachanda along with his rival-turned ally CPN-UML chairman Oli, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) president Ravi Lamichhane, Rastriya Prajatantra Party chief Rajendra Lingden among other top leaders earlier went to the President’s Office with a proposal to appoint him as the new Prime Minister, sources said.
He has support of 168 lawmakers in the 275-member House of Representatives which includes CPN-UML with 78, CPN-MC with 32, RSP with 20, RPP with 14, JSP with 12, Janamat with 6, Nagarik Unmukti Party with 3 and three independent lawmakers.
Prachanda, who is being appointed as the Prime Minister of Nepal for the third time, is seen as pro-China. He has in the past said a new understanding with India needed to be developed on the basis of “changed scenario” in Nepal and after addressing all outstanding issues, like revision of the 1950 Friendship Treaty and resolving Kalapani and Susta border disputes.
The India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 forms the bedrock of the special relations between the two countries.
In recent years, Prachanda, however, said India and Nepal need to address diplomatically some of the issues “left by history” to realise the full potential of the bilateral cooperation.
His main backer Oli is also known for his pro-China stance. As the prime minister, Oli last year claimed that efforts were being made to oust him after his government redrew Nepal’s political map by incorporating three strategically key Indian territories, a move that strained ties between the two countries.
India had termed as “untenable” the “artificial enlargement” of the territorial claims by Nepal after its Parliament unanimously in 2020 approved the new political map of the country featuring Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura areas which India maintains belong to it.
The country shares a border of over 1850 km with five Indian states – Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services. Nepal’s access to the sea is through India, and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India. (PTI)
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