The man who led a decade-long insurgency in Nepal has been sworn in as the nation's new prime minister.
Former Maoist leader Prachanda took the oath of office during a ceremony in the capital, Kathmandu.
He was elected on Friday by lawmakers in an overwhelming vote that ended months of political deadlock in Nepal. A Maoist spokesman (Krishna Bahadur Mahara) said the party has been negotiating with political allies, and hopes to form a cabinet within days.
Since signing a peace deal in 2006, the Maoists have achieved their key goal to turn Nepal from a monarchy into a republic.
They also won the most seats in a newly formed Constituent Assembly assigned to rewrite the constitution. The Maoists still do not have a parliamentary majority and need the support of smaller parties to push their agenda forward.
Nepal has enjoyed relative peace since former Maoist rebels ended their decade-long civil war and joined the political process.
On Sunday, police in Nepal said an unidentified attacker threw a bomb at the vice president's house, wounding a security guard. Authorities said Vice President Paramananda Jha was not hurt by the explosion at his Kathmandu home.
Jha stirred controversy last month by taking the oath of office in Hindi, and not the official language, Nepali. The action led to protests in Nepal, and the Supreme Court considered a lawsuit against him.
Some information for this report was provided by AP
and Reuters.