K P Sharma Oli, who recently lost a crucial vote of confidence, was sworn in as Prime Minister of Nepal for the third time on Friday.
Oli, 69, took the oath of office as the 43rd Prime Minister of Nepal at the presidential palace today. The ministers of his cabinet were also sworn in during the ceremony. The oath was administered by President Shital Devi Bhandari.
On Thursday, he was reappointed to the post as the Opposition parties failed to secure majority seats in Parliament to form a new government. He lost the trust vote in the House of Representatives earlier on Monday.
The Chairperson of CPN-UML will now have to take a vote of confidence at the House within 30 days, failing which, an attempt to form a government under Article 76 (5) of the Constitution would be initiated.
Notably, Prime Minister Oli and Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel did not use the word 'God' during the oath-taking ceremony even President Bhandari did.
"I will take oath in the name of the country and the people," Oli said, while President Bhandari had mentioned "God, country and the people."
In the new cabinet, there are 22 ministers and three ministers of state.
Oli previously served as prime minister from October 2015 to August 2016 and again from February 2018 to May 2021.
It may be mentioned that The CPN-UML of Prime Minister Oli is the largest party with 121 seats in the 271-member House of Representatives. At present 136 votes are needed to form a majority government.
On the COVID front, the country is recording more than 9,000 cases on a daily basis. It is also witnessing a shortage of medical supplies, leading to a spike in infections amid the devastating second wave of COVID-19.
