CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has been sworn in as the 38th Prime Minister of Nepal.This will be Oli's second stint as PM. Earlier, Oli had served as the 35th Prime Minister from Oct 11, 2015 to July 24, 2016.

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office to PM Oli during a special function organised at the President's official residence in Sheetal Niwas, Kathmandu on Thursday.

Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun, outgoing Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Chief Justice Gopal Parajuli were present on the occasion.

Similarly, former Prime Ministers, former Deputy Prime Ministers and Chiefs and Chief Ministers and ministers of various provinces, Chiefs of constitutional bodies, Chiefs of three security agencies and heads of Kathmandu-based based diplomatic missions, among others, were also present during the function.

Oli was appointed as the new Prime Minister a day after the Election Commission (EC) submitted the final results of the federal and provincial assembly elections to President Bidya Devi Bhandari.

The appointment was made as per the article 76 of the constitution which states in case of no clear majority of any party in the House of Representatives, the President shall appoint as Prime Minister the member of the House of Representatives who can have the majority with the support of two or more political parties represented in the House of Representatives.

Following his swearing in, Oli formed a small Cabinet inducting two ministers. 

Lal Babu Pandit has been appointed as the Minister for Population and Environment and Thammaya Thapa has been appointed as the Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare. 

Oli, a leader of the Jhapa communist movement, is the eight Prime Minister from a communist party and the fifth Prime Minister from the UML. 

Who is Oli?

Born on February 22, 1952, in Tehrathum district, Oli was elected to the Constituent Assembly in the second CA election from Jhapa district constituency. 

Oli was elected CPN-UML Chairman on July 15, 2014 through the 9th General Convention of the party, defeating party leader Madhav Kumar Nepal. He became UML's Parliamentary Party leader during the 2nd Constituent Assembly on February 4, 2014, defeating former party Chairman Jhalanath Khanal.

Oli, who had served as Home Minister in 1994/95 after the restoration of democracy in 1990, became the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs during the interim government in 2006.

Influenced by communist ideology of Marxism-Leninism, Oli joined political activities in 1966 and became a member of Communist Party of Nepal in February, 1970. He got involved in underground politics against autocratic party-less Panchayat System in 1970. He was arrested in 1973 and imprisoned for 14 years. He was released in 1987.

Photos: Prakash Timilsena