UPDATES AS NEW PREMIER TAKES OATH, FORMS CABINET, CHANGES HEADER, DECK, EDITS THROUGHOUT
By Bhadra Sharma
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AA) - Former Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah was sworn in as Nepal's youngest prime minister on Friday after his party won a landslide victory in the first parliamentary election since massive protests last year that ousted the government and led to an interim administration.
Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath to Shah, popularly known as Balen, who wore traditional Nepali attire -- daura suruwal and topi.
Shah, 35, leads the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which secured 182 of 275 seats in parliament, defeating established political parties.
After the ceremony, Shah formed a 15-member Cabinet and headed to his office in Singha Durbar, the government complex that houses most ministries and was damaged during the protests. The buildings have since been repaired.
Swarnim Wagle, an economist, was named finance minister, while Shishir Khanal was appointed foreign minister. Sudhan Gurung, who took part in the protests that ousted former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli last September, was named home minister.
Shah was elected RSP parliamentary party leader under a deal reached before he formally joined the party. He resigned as mayor of Kathmandu before completing his five-year term to enter national politics.
Under the agreement, the RSP -- founded by TV journalist-turned-politician Rabi Lamichhane ahead of the 2022 parliamentary election -- backed Shah as its prime ministerial candidate while ranking him second in the party hierarchy.
While Lamichhane remains the party president, Shah will be responsible for government affairs.
Shah defeated ousted Prime Minister Oli by a wide margin in Oli's home constituency in Jhapa in eastern Nepal.
