KATHMANDU: Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, was confirmed as the country’s prime minister for a third time on Tuesday, winning almost unanimous backing from legislators even though November’s election returned a hung parliament.
Dahal, who still goes by his nom de guerre Prachanda, meaning “fierce”, secured 268 ballots in a vote of confidence in the 275-member parliament.
Nevertheless, his seven-party coalition may find it hard to govern as many of the allies have conflicting interests on looming issues including problems of secularism, the shape of the federal government and the distribution of citizenship ID cards.
The new administration also faces mounting economic challenges including high inflation; a decline in foreign exchange reserves as the price of food and energy imports soars; and a low tax base that limits state spending on critical infrastructure.
Nepal has had 11 governments since 2008 and the instability has undermined business and investment. — Reuters
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