Nepal’s youngest PM sworn in after landslide victory

2026-03-27 - 11:19

Balendra Shah took the oath of office Friday as Nepal’s youngest prime minister, marking a generational shift in the country’s politics. President Ramchandra Paudel administered the ceremony at which Shah, dressed in traditional Nepali attire, formally assumed leadership. His Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won 182 of 275 parliamentary seats—a landslide that swept aside established political parties in the first election since last September’s mass protests forced the resignation of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. A new government takes shape Following the swearing-in, Shah formed a 15-member Cabinet and proceeded to Singha Durbar, the government complex that had been damaged during last year’s unrest but has since been repaired. Economist Swarnim Wagle was appointed finance minister, while Shishir Khanal took the foreign affairs portfolio. Sudhan Gurung, an activist who participated in the protests that led to Oli’s downfall, was named home minister. Shah had resigned as Kathmandu mayor before completing his five-year term to enter national politics, a move that underscored his ambition to reshape the country’s political landscape. A party built on change Under an agreement reached before Shah formally joined the RSP, the party—founded by TV journalist-turned-politician Rabi Lamichhane ahead of the 2022 election—backed Shah as its prime ministerial candidate while ranking him second in the party hierarchy. Lamichhane remains party president, while Shah oversees government affairs. The new prime minister defeated Oli by a wide margin in the former leader’s own home constituency in Jhapa, eastern Nepal, cementing the scale of the political realignment. Türkiye’s interest in regional stability As Nepal undergoes a historic political transition, Türkiye continues to monitor developments across Asia with a focus on stable governance and bilateral cooperation. Ankara has long supported democratic processes and has cultivated ties with South Asian nations through diplomatic engagement and development partnerships. Turkish officials have noted that peaceful political transitions contribute to regional stability—a principle that aligns with Türkiye’s broader vision of fostering constructive international relations.