CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma—as the head of the communist coalition with CPN (Maoist Center), which together have an absolute majority in national parlia­ment—has started his second inning as prime minister. Due to a technicality in the country’s electoral laws, the new government could not be formed for nearly two-and-a-half months of the federal elections.

Now that it is in place, what do people have to look for­ward to? “First and foremost, the left coalition must fulfill the promises on stability and prosperity that it made on the campaign trail,” says political analyst Krishna Khanal. “Oth­erwise, I don’t think Nepali people have traditionally had high expectations of their governments.”

The most remarkable aspect of the latest change of guard at Singadurbar, as Khanal points out, is that a government with people’s direct mandate has been formed after a long time. “The previous time Oli was prime minister, he only had technical mandate to govern. Not so this time,” Khanal says. If he wants, Oli can now enact sweeping reforms to make the government people-friendly, Khanal adds.

“I think the biggest challenge for the new government will be to implement the new constitution,” says former chief election commissioner Bhojraj Pokharel, “State-restructur­ing, as provided in the new constitution, will be a big chal­lenge.” Pokharel adds that state-restructuring is not limited to redrawing the country’s internal boundaries. “It is as much about having the right manpower and the right mindset to bring about sweeping changes in our governance, as required under a federal set-up”.

Both Khanal and Pokharel worry if the country has ade­quate resources to properly implement the federal set-up.

Another tricky issue for the new government will be addressing the demands of the Madhesi parties. Unlike in other six provinces where the left alliance will rule, in Prov­ince 2, the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum and the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal, two Madhesi parties, are forming a coalition. They come to power on the promise of amending the con­stitution to establish the agendas raised by various Madhesi uprisings. Yet changing provincial contours via constitution amendment, as the Madhesi parties want, is a devilishly diffi­cult business. “But since the left alliance has a strong central government, in addition to ruling six of the seven provinces, it will have no good excuse to keep pushing aside the Madhesi demands,” says Pokharel.

All this suggests the new prime minister’s plate will be brimful from Day One.