KATHMANDU, Aug 18: The leader of Nepal’s Maoists, Prachanda, was sworn in as prime minister of the new republic on Monday, finalising his transformation from warlord to the country’s most powerful politician.

The former rebel chief was overwhelmingly voted in as Nepal’s new premier on Friday by lawmakers in the constitutional assembly, which in May abolished the unpopular 240-year-old Hindu monarchy.

“I will remain faithful to the nation and my countrymen, and promise in the name of the people that I will remain faithful to the sovereign nation of Nepal,” he said in his oath of office.

Prachanda’s real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal, but he chooses to go by a nom-de-guerre meaning “fierce one.” Dressed in a grey suit and tie and wearing a traditional Nepali cap, the ex-rebel leader — once Nepal’s most-wanted man — looked at ease as he was feted by a guard of honour and watched by an large audience of dignitaries, among them scores of foreign diplomats.

A Nepal Army band played the new republic’s national anthem at the function, which was held in the lush gardens of the president’s office and residence in central Kathmandu.

After the oath had been read and he had signed the document, Prachanda visibly relaxed and smiled as he received congratulations from Nepal’s new president, politicians and foreign ambassadors.

“The priority is to take this peace process to a logical end,” Prachanda told reporters in his new office shortly after the swearing-in ceremony.

“I will also create an environment conducive to constitution-drafting which will be our first priority,” he said.

The ultra-leftists are still in negotiations with their political allies over the make-up of the incoming government.

“We are in talks with members of the alliance and will form a government as soon as possible,” Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara said.

The Maoists and their allies are still haggling over the distribution of ministerial portfolios, local media has reported.

Prachanda, a former school teacher, led a decade-long insurgency against the monarchy that claimed at least 13,000 lives before signing up for peace in 2006, when he vowed to renounce violence and embrace multi-party democracy.

The Maoists won the elections to the new constitutional assembly in April, positioning themselves to push through what they vow will be a radical programme of reform in one of the world’s poorest countries.

Nepal is desperate for financial assistance to help it recover from the civil war that devastated the economy.

“We have huge responsibilities ahead,” said the Maoist spokesman.

“We have to restructure the state. People have high hopes for us, and we will not let the people down.” High on the new government’s agenda will be swiftly tackling crippling fuel and food shortages as well as bringing about “socio-economic transformation through land reform.”

The Maoist-led government will be in charge of drafting a new constitution and establishing a ministerial body to address the fate of 19,000 Maoist guerrillas confined to camps as part of the 2006 peace deal.

A major challenge will be how to implement plans to integrate them into the former Royal Nepal army.

Law and order has also deteriorated across the country, particularly in the southern Terai region, where violent unrest has been simmering for two years.—AFP