Deuba sworn in as Nepal PM, forms small Cabinet

Sher Bahadur Deuba was sworn in as the 40th Prime Minister of Nepal on Wednesday.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oaths of office and secrecy to the newly-elected Prime Minister at a ceremony in the capital.

After taking the oaths, Deuba -- who is also Nepali Congress President -- administered oaths to seven new ministers -- three from the Nepali Congress (NC), three from CPN (Maoist Centre) and one from the Nepal Loktantrik Forum.

Deuba returned to power for the fourth time on Tuesday -- 12 years after he was removed by then King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev -- with 388 votes in his favour out of 593 voters in Parliament.

As many as 558 lawmakers cast votes during the prime ministerial election, with Deuba being the lone candidate.

Gopal Man Shrestha, from the Nepali Congress, was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education. Gyanendra Bahadur Karki and Farmullah Mansoor, also from NC, were appointed Minister for Finance and Minister for Labour and Employment, respectively.

Krishna Bahadur Mahara of CPN (Maoist Centre) was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Similarly, CPN (MC) leader Janardan Sharma was appointed Minister for Home Affairs and Prabhu Sah of the same party was appointed as minister without portfolio.

Likewise, Nepal Loktantrik Forum Chairman Bijay Kumar Gachhadar was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development.

Outgoing Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda's CPN (Maoist Centre), the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N), Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal, Nepal Loktantrik Forum and CPN (Samyukta), besides other fringe parties, voted for Deuba.

The RJP-N, with 25 seats in Parliament, voted for Deuba after reaching a three-point deal under which the new NC-Maoist Centre government has to address the agitating party's demand for amending the less-than-two-year-old Constitution.

--IANS

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