Balendra Shah sworn in as Nepal’s prime minister
Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Balendra Shah (left) arriving to take his oath.
Photo: Nepal’s Photojournalist Club via AFP Nepal’s rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was sworn in as prime minister on Friday after sweeping the first election since deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the government last year.
The 35-year-old reformist and his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) dominated polls this month on a platform of youth-driven political change. “I, Balendra Shah, in the name of the country and people, pledge that I will be loyal to the constitution,” Shah said, dressed all in black, including his trademark dark sunglasses.
Crowds at the ceremony cheered and chanted his name after he formally took office.
At least 77 people were killed in the anti-corruption youth uprising, which began over a brief social media ban but tapped into long-standing fury over economic hardship in the nation of 30 million people.
Shah, better known as Balen, was sworn in a day after he released his first public statement since winning the March 5 elections, via a rap song posted on social media.
Newly elected lawmakers taking their oath.
Photo: Nepal’s Photojournalist Club via AFP “The strength of unity is my national power,” Shah sang in the song, which has racked up nearly 3 million views since being released on social media and streaming sites on Thursday evening.
Shah had remained silent publicly since his RSP party won the election in a landslide, winning a commanding majority of 182 in the 275-seat House of Representatives.
He campaigned alongside the RSP president, combative television host Rabi Lamichhane, 51, a former deputy prime minister and interior minister, and now a fellow lawmaker who retains a pivotal role in power. “My heart is full of courage, my red blood is boiling; my brothers stand with me, this time we will rise,” Shah added in his song, over a video of him campaigning for election. “May my breath not run out; I will run like a leopard,” he added.
Shortly after his rap song was released, the outgoing interim prime minister bid farewell to the nation in a televised broadcast.
Balendra Shah greets his supporters after winning the election.
Photo: Reuters Sushila Karki, 73, a former chief justice who had led the caretaker administration for six months, said the country’s future lay in the hands of a younger generation. “I am confident that the new government to be formed under the leadership of the youth will work towards ending corruptio
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