Balendra Shah does not look like your typical Nepali prime minister, and in many ways, this is precisely the point. The 35-year-old rapper-turned-mayor has just been propelled to the country’s highest office. Known for his reluctance to speak to the press and his brisk, almost nonchalant, style, ‘Balen’, as Nepalis affectionately call him, has a formidable task ahead. He is expected to eliminate corruption, create jobs and restore faith in the state.

Unemployment hovers at 20 per cent, and the most popular career path for young Nepalis is to leave the country

Unemployment hovers at 20 per cent, and the most popular career path for young Nepalis is to leave the country

That is no small task in a country long governed by what might politely be called seasoned politicians. The average age of Nepal’s prime ministers hovers in the late sixties, with some well into their seventies. Longevity is a big part of Nepali politics. Surya Bahadur Thapa, who served multiple terms – as many prime ministers tend to do – first took office in 1979 at the age of 35 and was returned to power more than two decades later, at 75. In Nepal, power has a habit of recycling itself.

The landslide that catapulted Balen to power did not begin with him, but with a system that had run out of steam. For decades,........

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