Former rebel leader surprisingly becomes prime minister in Nepal Violent protests after deadly attack on Kurdish center in Paris

In Nepal, the former communist rebel leader, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has surprisingly been appointed as the new prime minister. President Bidhya Devi Bhandari’s office announced this on Sunday. Dahal is expected to take his oath of office earlier this week, local media reported. The 68-year-old, also known as Prachanda (“dashing”), becomes the country’s prime minister for the third time. Dahal has the support of 169 out of 275 MPs, the Kathmandu Post reported. Formally, he has yet to survive a vote of confidence in parliament, proving that he has a majority there.

Dahal’s nomination came as a surprise, as his Maoist CPN party finished third in November’s parliamentary election – taking 32 of 275 seats. He is now supported by several parties and independent candidates. This is likely to increase political instability in the poor Himalayan country of just under 30 million people with frequent changes of government as it now has to keep together a host of different partners.

Dahal comes from a poor farming family and worked as a teacher before entering politics. He was a leader in the Nepalese civil war (1996-2006) in which the communists tried to end the monarchy. About 17,000 people died in the war. In 2008, two years after the end of the war, the Hindu monarchy was abolished. Dahal served as Prime Minister in 2008-2009 and 2016-2017.

According to the United Nations, Nepal is one of the least developed countries in the world. According to World Bank data, economic output per capita was just over $1,200 last year.

China and India – Nepal’s main rival neighbors – followed the elections closely. Both countries have strategic and economic interests in Nepal. China wants to implement projects as part of its “New Silk Road” initiative and thus bind the country closer to itself, for example with a new rail link through the Himalayas from the Tibetan city of Lhasa to the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. India, on the other hand, traditionally sees Nepal, which is also predominantly Hindu, as its political backyard and strives for close ties – probably also as a buffer against China. (sda/dpa)