US EditionBalen Shah: Ex-Rapper to Be Sworn in as Nepal's Prime Minister
Balendra Shah's Rastriya Swatantra Party won about two-thirds of parliamentary seats, driven by youth support and promises of anti-corruption and 1.2 million new jobs.
- On Friday, Balendra Shah takes the oath as Nepal's prime minister before President Ramchandra Paudel at the Federal Parliament, marking the 35-year-old's historic ascent from Kathmandu mayor to the nation's top office.
- After three years as Kathmandu's mayor, Shah joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party as its prime-ministerial candidate, appealing to voters angry at corruption, unemployment, and economic stagnation that fueled last September's deadly youth-led protests.
- The RSP won about two-thirds of the 275 seats in the lower House of Representatives, shattering entrenched political elites. Shah's campaign resonated with youth who adopted his song Nepal Haseko as a protest anthem.
- Critics have raised concerns over Shah's past heavy-handed tactics against street vendors as Kathmandu mayor. Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, told the BBC: "We hope as prime minister, there would be a focus on a more rules-based order."
- The new administration faces significant challenges including chronic unemployment, a stuttering economy, and millions of Nepalis working in the Middle East. Some observers question whether the four-year-old RSP is capable of delivering on its bold anti-corruption and job-creation pledges.
48 Articles
48 Articles
Nepal's Youngest Prime Minister Balendra Shah Takes Office
Nepal's Youngest Prime Minister Balendra Shah Takes Office China extended its congratulations to Nepal for the swearing-in of Balendra Shah as the nation's new prime minister, according to a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry on Friday. The ministry expressed support for Nepal in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as the prime minister of Nepal, becomin…
Nepali rapper Balendra Shah sworn in as prime minister
Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as prime minister of Nepal, tasked with restoring political stability and creating jobs in the poor Himalayan nation long troubled by fragile governments and weak growth prospects.
Winnipeg Free Press
plaindealerin.comNepal's new prime minister chooses auspicious time to take oath of office
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
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