K P Oli has been appointed Prime Minister of Nepal three months after the completion of parliamentary elections and it is hoped that Nepal may finally have a stable government but uncertainties remain. Oli’s party, the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) is in alliance with the CPN-Maoist Centre with a total of 174 seats in the 275 member Parliament. Oli’s CPN-UML itself won 121 seats which is a little short of a simple majority. It had been agreed before the polls that the two parties will form a coalition. The merger of the parties has not yet taken place and Nepal’s politics is unpredictably volatile. Oli had to wait for the appointment as Prime Minister until the upper house elections had been concluded. He now has to implement the Constitution and achieve a consensus on such key provisions of the Constitution as the Republican character of the country and relations between the Centre and the provinces. The political flux in Nepal since 2006 has been due to the discord between the different parties. Justice to war victims has been a divisive issue. The judiciary has been politicised and corruption in the country is rampant. All this has led to public unrest. Oli will have to meet the challenge of inspiring public confidence.
Oli’s victory has been brought about partly by his party’s anti-India stand. He could catch the pulse of the nation that way. New Delhi had been blamed for supporting the Madhesis who caused an economic blockade antagonising the people of Nepal. India and Nepal have been linked by geography, religion and political history. China cannot take the place of India with an economic package. Oli will have to walk a tight rope to strike a balance between two neighbours. India for its part has to wipe out the impression of playing Big Brother. Sushma Swaraj’s recent visit to Kathmandu may have gone a long way in creating goodwill between India and Nepal.