A rapper has just become Nepal’s youngest ever prime minister (PM). Nepal’s rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, is sworned in as PM after his party scored a landslide victory in the country's first election since last year's youth-led protests. President Ram Chandra Paudel appointed Shah as PM of Nepal on Friday. Balen, 35, is a symbol of change in country and his rise marks an important shift in the politics of the Himalayan country.
A 15-member Council of Ministers has been formed under the leadership of PM Balendra Shah. He has personally taken charge of the defence and industry ministries.
Police have arrested former prime minister KP Sharma Oli and and former home minister Ramesh Lekhak for the human and material damages caused during the September Gen Z protests. The arrest comes after the newly-formed government decided to implement the report prepared by the probe commission led by former Special Court Chair Gauri Bahadur Karki.
Before taking the office on Friday, Balen released a rap song urging unity. "Undivided Nepali, this time history is being made," he rapped in Nepali in a track that garnered tens of thousands of views within minutes of its release on social media.
His party The Rastriya Swatantra Party, that was founded just four years ago, received the largest mandate in Nepal’s modern electoral history winning a rare outright majority in the parliament.
{{/usCountry}}His party The Rastriya Swatantra Party, that was founded just four years ago, received the largest mandate in Nepal’s modern electoral history winning a rare outright majority in the parliament.
{{/usCountry}}He rose to fame as a popular rapper whose songs took aim at corruption, poverty and unemployment. In May 2022, structural engineer Balen was elected mayor of Kathmandu on an independent ticket.
Last year, 77 people were killed during last September's demonstrations where youth protested against ban on social media sites as well as bigger issues of corruption and nepotism.
Nepal has struggled with political instability for decades. Since 2008, Nepal has had 14 governments, and no leader has completed a full five-year term. The majority of young people are grappling with a lack of jobs. Youth unemployment is around 20%, forcing thousands of youths to toil abroad as migrants, their earnings amounting to a third of Nepal’s GDP.
The politics of the Himalayan nation has become like a game of musical chairs, with Communist parties and the Nepali Congress taking turns to rule. Corruption has permeated every level of government.
The real test for the new government will be turning these early hopeful sentiment into lasting change. It should work on ending corruption in the country, establishing good governance, creating jobs within the country, providing transparent and prompt delivery service to people, economic development and social justice.
As mayor, Shah brought down commercial and residential buildings that were built without proper permits. He widened the pavements of Kathmandu's major cities, and his administration managed garbage collection efficiently, implementing several measures to improve cleanliness, including daily road cleaning and maintenance. He should scale up that nationally.
The new government should prioritise the basic demands of people. The new government should push infrastructure that actually connects villages to markets. The new government will also need to keep foreign policy pragmatic — good relations with both neighbours- India and China without letting any one dominate.
None of this will be easy. Governing Nepal has always been harder than campaigning which is about promises and energy. But governing means dealing with fragile coalitions, bureaucracy, and constant political bargaining.
So yes, the road is steep. The expectations are heavy. But there is hope. If Shah keeps the beat steady, Nepal might finally move forward together.
This article is authored by Brabim Karki, columnist and author, Nepal.