Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai sworn in as Nepal PM

Maoist ideologue Baburam Bhattarai, who was sworn in as Nepal's new prime minister today said he would work to complete the fragile peace process within six months and form a national unity government to bring political stability in the nascent republic.

The 57-year-old Jawaharlal Nehru University scholar ascends to the post at a crucial time in Nepal and faces the twin challenge of integrating and rehabilitating over 19,000 former Maoist guerrillas andpreparing the first Constitution, two major conditions of a 2006 peace deal which ended a decade-long civil war that killed some 16,000 people.

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav administered the oath of office and secrecy to Bhattarai, who was dressed in a blue suit, white shirt and traditional 'topi', at a grand function at the Rashtrapati Bhawan this afternoon.

Along with Bhattarai, the newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijay Kumar Gachhadar of the Madhesi coalition was also sworn in.

Bhattarai said that he hoped to lead a consensus government to break the political deadlock that has stalled the peace process and delayed the drafting of a new constitution.

"Being the largest party it is our legitimate right to lead the government - though we wanted to form a consensus government, we have to go through a majoritarian practice," Bhattarai said.

"Despite that, my effort will be to convert this government into a national unity government and then reach an agreement on all the major issues and complete our mission," he was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Senior Nepalese leaders, including caretaker Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal, Maoist chairman Prachanda, Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala along with top diplomats attended the function in the capital.

The Maoists with 236 seats are the largest party in parliament but left power in May 2009 in a row over the dismissal of the then Nepal Army Chief Rukmangad Katawal.

Prachanda had dismissed Katawal after accusing him of undermining civilian government. The Maoist supremo quit after President Yadav reinstated Katawal.

Bhattarai said that he expected the issue of 19,000 former Maoist fighters, who remain to be demobilised, would be resolved within months, paving the way for agreement over a new democratic constitution.

Bhattarai's election as the 35th Prime Minister came after days of political wrangling among the major players in the country. His name was finally sealed after the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic, the coalition of Terai-based Madhesi parties, extended its crucial support to his candidature.

In yesterday's voting, Bhattarai defeated his Nepali Congress rival RC Poudyal by 340 votes to 235.

The cabinet will be expanded later after further consultations with the coalition partners, officials said.

Bhattarai, the number two in the Maoist ranks after Prachanda, will have to do some fine balancing to keep the Madhesi front -- the fourth largest group in the House --happy.

Sources have said that Madhesi parties have demanded a dozen ministerial berths during negotiations with the Maoists.

President Yadav had earlier directed the Parliament to choose a new prime minister after Khanal, who was elected premier after 17 rounds of polls in Parliament, resigned on August 14 for failing to make "concrete" process in the peace process.