Balendra Shah sworn in as Nepal’s prime minister
Balendra Shah, the 35-year-old ex-rapper widely known as Balen, is Nepal’s youngest PM in decades
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.