PN-UML Chairman K.P. Sharma Oli was on Thursday appointed the 41st Prime Minister of Nepal.

President Bidya Bhandari appointed Oli as the new Prime Minister of the Himalayan country.

Oli’s communist party secured near majority in Parliament and is supported by the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN Maoist Centre) to form the government.

Earlier in the day, outgoing Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba put in his papers.

Oli is likely to form a small Cabinet from his party, CPN-UML, and the CPN (Maoist Centre).

The Maoist Centre and UML are set to merge soon.

The oath-taking of Oli will take place later in the evening.

In the morning, Oli, along with Chairman of the Maoist-Centre Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, met President Bhandari, and Oli laid claim to the top executive post on the basis of majority votes, the President’s Office said.