The Prime Minister of Nepal, GP Koirala, will be formally sworn in on Thursday, three days after resigning as leader of a minority government. He will also announce a new cabinet.

GP Koirala: Prime minister until April

These acts will bring a semblance of normality to Nepal at the end of an extraordinary month in the turbulent politics of the country.

In mid-December Mr Koirala's coalition partners, the Nepal Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist), withdrew from the government. They said they were unhappy with the prime minister's policies. Their departure left Mr Koirala in charge of a minority government.

His request to the king to dissolve parliament and hold early elections was rejected because the supreme court in Nepal has tended to prevent minority administrations from calling early elections.

Fortunately for Mr Koirala, Nepal's two opposition parties - the United Marxist Leninists and the Sadbhavana Party - also wanted elections to be held early. They have now agreed to join him in a coalition government as long as he promises to call the vote before April.

King Birendra refused to hold immediate elections

Most commentators agree the new government will be little more than an interim administration, incapable of agreeing on any key political decisions. Perhaps the only thing on which the three parties agree is that fresh elections are the only answer to the political instability that has plagued Nepal for the last four years.

Since 1994 there have been five changes of government in the country. The sense of uncertainty has been exacerbated recently because the king - one of the few figures of constitutional continuity in the country - has just had heart treatment.