The swearing-in ceremony of new prime minister Balendra Shah will follow tradition and past precedent.

A leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party told the Post that both Shah and party president Rabi Lamichhane are not in mood to make the oath ceremony an extravagant affair.

As the government is being formed under special circumstances after the Gen Z movement, the ceremony will be low-key, the leader told the Post.

"We had received several suggestions and ideas about the swearing-in ceremony,” said Kabindra Burlakoti, general secretary of the party. “Now it is up to the President's Office to take a call.”

The RSP went to the March 5 snap parliamentary elections by categorically naming Shah as its prime ministerial candidate. After the party’s landslide victory in the elections, Shah is set to take the oath of office and secrecy on March 27 at the President’s Office.

On behalf of Shah, a message was sent to the President’s Office that the swearing-in ceremony of the incoming prime minister would be a normal and traditional one, as in the past, an official at the President's Office told the Post.

Earlier, there were rumours that the swearing-in ceremony would be conducted in a unique manner.

Some aides of Shah had earlier advised him to organise the ceremony outside Kathmandu in a break with tradition, and to attract tourists.

“The swearing-in ceremony is taking place inside the President’s Office,” RSP leader Shishir Khanal, told the Post.

Some aides had suggested holding the ceremony in open places like Tundikhel Khulamanch of Kathmandu, Badimalika in Achham, Annapurna Base Camp or Rara lake, but none of these proposals worked out due to protocol, logistical, administrative, and other issues, a source familiar with the development told the Post.

Khanal also said there are no plans to invite heads of state or government from foreign countries to the swearing-in ceremony.

Earlier, some reports had suggested that leaders from India, China, and other countries in the region would be invited.

However, sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said there is no plan to invite foreign guests.

“We have only been informed by the Prime Minister’s Office that the oath-taking will take place on March 27, and the President’s Office is preparing accordingly,” said an official from the President’s Office. “The preparations are in line with past practices.”

For the swearing-in ceremony, the president office invites the outgoing prime minister, ministers, former prime ministers, all members of Federal Parliament, officials of constitutional bodies, secretaries, heads of security agencies, and chiefs of diplomatic missions based in Kathmandu. The same kind of preparations are being made this time as well, the official added.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won 182 seats out of the 275 in the House of Representatives.

A day prior to the prime minister’s swearing-in, the Parliament Secretariat is planning to administer the oath to the newly elected Members of the Parliament. The RSP will also officially nominate Shah as its party parliamentary leader on March 26, paving the way for him his premiership.

The party has already issued a notice on Monday calling a meeting of the central committee on March 26 with the agenda to select the party's parliamentary leader, among others.

Both Lamichhane and Shah are in close discussions to form a Cabinet of 15 to 18, Burlakoti said, adding that names have yet to be finalised.

Shah has proposed reducing the number of ministries from 25 to 16 by merging a few ministries.