Veteran Nepalese leader Oli returns as PM, tasked with ensuring stability

K P Sharma Oli, a wily politician who has wrecked many governments in Nepal in the past and endangered ties with India during his first tenure, has a tough task ahead as the new prime minister amidst frequent political turmoil.

Almost on predictable lines, the Oli-led Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), which is the largest party in the ruling coalition, withdrew support from the government led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' last week.

Oli, 72, ditched his one-time friend Prachanda to join hands with his foe-turned-friend Sher Bahadur Deuba, leading the largest party in the House of Representatives, the Nepali Congress for the remaining 40 months of Parliament.

President Ramchandra Paudel on Sunday appointed CPN-UML Chairman Oli as the prime minister of Nepal. This is Oli's fourth stint as the country's chief executive.

Since 2008, when the erstwhile monarchy was formally abolished and Nepal adopted an interim Constitution, it has had 13 .