Sher Bahadur Deuba Sworn in as Nepal PM For the Fifth Time
The ceremony was delayed after Deuba refused to take oath, seeking correction in his appointment letter.
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Hours after refusing to be sworn in until a correction was made to his appointment letter, Nepal Congress chief Sher Bahadur Deuba was sworn in as the Prime Minister of the country, by President Bidya Devi Bhandari at 8:20 pm, as per The Kathmandu Post.
This is his fifth stint in the office.
The ceremony was originally scheduled for 6 pm, but was delayed after Deuba refused to take oath as the new prime minister, seeking correction in his appointment letter that did not mention the constitutional clause under which he was appointed.
Reportedly, after significant debate and discussion, the Office of the President agreed to correct the statement mentioning that Deuba was appointed PM as per article 76 (5) of the Constitution.
KP Sharma Oli Resigns
After a year of political crisis and a legal battle, Nepal's caretaker Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday, a day after the country's Supreme Court ordered for Sher Bahadur Deuba to be appointed as the next PM of the country.
The court on Monday had overturned Oli's decision to dissolve the House and ordered President Bidya Devi Bhandari to appoint Deuba as the new Prime Minister, who is currently the president of the Nepali Congress.
The court on Monday declared the move to dissolve the House to be 'unconstitutional'.
"Our party abides with the order given by the Supreme Court," Oli said as he resigned.
Following the orders, Deuba was appointed as the Prime Minister by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari as per the Article 76 (5) of the Constitution, the President Office said on Tuesday.
Prolonged Turmoil in Nepal
Following differences within the ruling coalition, former PM Oli had dissolved the House on 21 May last year and declared elections from 12-19 November.
On 20 December last year, Oli had dissolved the House for the second time which the Supreme Court reinstated on 25 February this year.
Oli was re-appointed as per Article 76 (3) of the Nepalese Constitution in his capacity as the parliamentary party leader of the largest party in the House after failing to secure a trust vote on 10 May
He, however, opted not to seek a vote of confidence and recommended that Bhandari initiate a new government process.
On 20 May, Bhandari asked the members of the House to stake their claim to the new government.
The court on Monday ordered the President to appoint Deuba as the new Prime Minister by 13 July and summoned a session of the House on 18 July.
(With inputs from The Kathmandu Post.)
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