Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal takes oath of office and secrecy

Kathmandu: Newly-appointed Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has taken the oath of office and secrecy from President Bidya Devi Bhandari at Shital Niwas on Monday. President also administered the oath to three deputy-prime ministers and four ministers upon recommendation from Prime Minister Dahal.

Bishnu Poudel of the CPN-UML, Narayan Kaji Shrestha of the CPN (Maoist Centre) and Rabi Lamichhane of the Rastriya Swatantra Party were sworn in as deputy prime ministers.

Poudel has been given the portfolio of Finance Minister while Shrestha will head the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport and Lamichhane has been appointed as the Home Minister.

This is perhaps the first time that PM Dahal has attended a public function wearing Daura-Suruwal. The Chairman of CPN (Maoist Centre), the newly-appointed Prime Minister Dahal, has garnered the support of 169 members of the House of Representatives.

Dahal was sworn in as the 44th Prime minister of Nepal amid a special ceremony organised at Shital Niwas, Kathmandu.

Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, immediate past prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Chairman of National Assembly Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, Acting Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Hari Krishna Karki were present at the swearing-in ceremony.

Others present on the occasion were former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, CPN Unified Socialist Chairperson Madhav Kumar Nepal, former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and high ranking officers of constitutional bodies, chief diplomats and mediapersons.