Nepal’s new prime minister seeks vote of confidence in parliament, secure more than two-third votes

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KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s newly appointed prime minister secured overwhelming support in parliament on Sunday with more than two-thirds of members voting in his favor.

Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli got the support from members of his Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), his main coalition partner Nepali Congress and several smaller parties.

During voting in the House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, 188 out of a total of 275 members voted in his favor during the vote of confidence motion, Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire announced.

Supporting members applauded soon after the announcement was made and they lined up to shake hands with Oli to congratulate him.

Oli was named Nepal's prime minister last week after the previous coalition government collapsed after Oli’s party withdrew their support earlier this month.

The next election in Nepal is scheduled for 2027.

This is the fourth time that Oli, 72, is serving as prime minister of the Himalayan nation.

Oli’s biggest challenge as prime minister will be balancing Nepal’s relationship with its giant neighbors India and China, as both seek to wield influence over the small nation. Landlocked Nepal is surrounded by India on three sides and imports all of its oil and most supplies from the country. It also shares a border with China.

Oli was born in a village in east Nepal and has been involved in politics since he was young.

He worked his way up the ranks of the communist party and was jailed a total of 14 years for opposing the autocratic rule of Nepal’s monarchs. The royals banned political parties until 1990, when street protests forced then King Birendra to hold free elections that turned Nepal into a constitutional monarchy, which was formally abolished in 2008.

Oli has had two kidney transplants.