KATHMANDU: President Bidya Bhandari has reappointed CPN-UML party chairman KP Sharma Oli as the Prime Minister of Nepal once again after opposition parties failed to produce majority to form a new government by Thursday.
President Bhandari had given a three-day deadline to the opposition parties to form a new government under Article 76 (2) from two or more than two parties after Prime Minister Oli failed to secure the vote of confidence on May 10.
None of the parties could produce a majority until 9 pm Thursday – the deadline given by the President.
Prime Minister Oli has been reappointed for the third time under Article 76 (3) since he is the parliamentary party leader of the largest political party represented in the parliament.
Oli is taking an oath of office and secrecy as the Prime Minister of Nepal at Shital Niwas at 2:30 pm today.
Despite efforts made by parties including Nepali Congress, and CPN (Maoist Center, they could not garner majority required for the government formation. Opposition parties failed to show majority after the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) stuck to its guns saying that it would not take part in the opposition alliance.
Issuing a statement, the Office of the President has said Oli has been reappointed as the Prime Minister in line with Article 76 (3) of the Constitution since he is the parliamentary party leader of the largest party in the parliament.
The Prime Minister elected under this provision has to take the vote of confidence within a month from the day of his reappointment. In case Oli fails to secure the vote confidence once again, the other process of the formation of the government will start as per Article 76 (5).
If the parties failed to form a new government in line with Article 76 (5) or the Prime Minister elected under this provision failed to secure the vote of confidence again, the sitting Prime Minister can recommend the President to dissolve the parliament and announce the date to hold general elections within the next six months.
Prime Minister Oli had been elected as the Prime Minister for the second time on February 15, 2018 after the alliance between CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) emerged as the largest party in the general elections held in 2017.
Earlier, he had become Prime Minister on October 11, 2015 for the first time.
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