HoR to begin election process of new Speaker from Dec 27

KATHMANDU: The Business Advisory Committee of the House of Representatives (HoR) on Friday has decided to begin the process of electing a new Speaker from December 27.

However, the first meeting of the winter session of the Federal Parliament is beginning from today.

The Committee meeting has also agreed that Deputy Speaker Shiva Maya Tumbahamphe will chair the first meeting of the winter session of the parliament today.

Sources said that the HoR will initiate the process of electing a new Speaker only after a week.

The post of the Speaker has been vacant after the then Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara stepped down following a rape allegation by a staffer at the Federal Parliament Secretariat.

Meanwhile, Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister K P Oli have been reported to have ‘almost agreed’ on the candidate for the new Speaker of the HoR.

A meeting between the two leaders on Friday afternoon discussed the election of the new Speaker as well as the winter session of the parliament, sources have claimed.

Sources had earlier claimed that while Prime Minister Oli was in favor of Subash Chandra Nemwang, NCP Chairman Dahal wanted to field Agni Prasad Sapkota.

Meanwhile, party sources have also said that Deputy Speaker Tumbahamphe will tender her resignation ‘anytime soon’.