New Government in Nepal: 43rd Prime Minister Balendra Shah Sworn In Alongside Newly Appointed Ministers
Newly appointed Prime Minister Balendra Shah ‘Balen’ took the oath of office and secrecy from President Ram Chandra Paudel during a special ceremony held at Sheetal Niwas. According to the records of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Shah is the 43rd Prime Minister of modern Nepal. The senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, Shah, was elected to the House of Representatives in last month’s parliamentary election. On Friday morning, President Paudel appointed Shah as Prime Minister under Article 76(1) of the Constitution of Nepal.
According to this provision, the President appoints as Prime Minister the parliamentary party leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives, who then forms the Council of Ministers under their leadership. After the Prime Minister’s oath-taking, President Paudel also administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly appointed ministers. The ceremony began with the blowing of conch shells, while 108 priests chanted prayers and 108 Buddhist monks performed blessings. The event was attended by the Vice President, Interim Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Chairperson of the National Assembly, senior officials, and representatives from various diplomatic missions.
At 36 years old, Shah is the youngest elected executive head in Nepal’s democratic history. The Rastriya Swatantra Party holds the largest number of seats in the House of Representatives, with 182 MPs. Balendra Shah, also known as ‘Balen’, is well known as a rap artist and currently serves as the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Professionally, he is a structural engineer. He won the election from the Jhapa-5 constituency after joining the Rastriya Swatantra Party just weeks before the polls.
In forming his cabinet, Prime Minister Shah has personally taken charge of the Ministries of Defense and Industry, Commerce, and Supplies. The other ministerial assignments are as follows: Finance Minister Swarnim Bagale; Home Minister Sudhan Gurung; Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal; Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Sunil Lamsal; Minister of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation Birajbhakta Shrestha; Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Khadkaraj Paudel; Minister of Education, Science, Technology, Youth, and Sports Sasmit Pokhrel; Minister of Health and Population and Drinking Water Nisha Mehta; Minister of Communications and Information Technology Bikram Timilsina; Minister of Federal Affairs, General Administration, Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation Pratibha Rawal; Minister of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam; Minister of Agriculture, Livestock Development, Forests, and Environment Geeta Chaudhary; Minister of Labor, Employment, and Social Security Deepak Kumar Sah; and Minister of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens Sita Wadi.
