Nepal PM Balendra Shah may wear sunglasses in parliament

Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah may wear his signature dark sunglasses in parliament for medical reasons, a parliament official said on Aug. 25, after the speaker advised against dark glasses in the chamber.

Ananta Prasad Koirala, deputy spokesman for the parliament secretariat, told AFP that a report had been submitted saying Shah needed sunglasses. Koirala said Shah would be allowed to wear them in parliament if they were medically necessary in bright light.

Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal had advised earlier this month against wearing dark glasses in the chamber, citing public criticism that such eyewear was out of place in the national legislature.

Shah, 36, is a rapper-turned-politician better known as Balen. He became Nepal's prime minister in March and is expected to attend a parliament session on Wednesday. His dark glasses have been a defining part of his public image since his successful campaign to become mayor of Kathmandu in 2022.