KATHMANDU: The House of Representatives is holding an election for a new Speaker on Sunday. For that, a meeting has been summoned for 3 pm today.

Standing Committee member of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Agni Sapkota is a lone candidate for the post.

It is certain that Sapkota will be elected as the next Speaker unanimously.

Sapkota had filed his candidacy as per the schedule published by Parliament Secretariat on Tuesday afternoon.

Sapkota’s candidacy was proposed by NCP Parliamentary Party deputy leader Subas Nembang and seconded by NCP Chief Whip Dev Gurung, lawmaker Onsari Gharti and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal lawmaker Laxman Lal Karna.

The post of Speaker has remained vacant for the past four months after then-Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara resigned from the post over allegations of sexual misconduct against a staffer at the Parliament Secretariat.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court (SC) is hearing a case filed against Sapkota today. Senior Advocate Dinesh Tripathi had filed a writ against him on Friday.

Tripathi had on Friday moved the court seeking an interim order to immediately halt the process of Speaker’s election arguing that a murder-accused should not qualify for the post of Speaker of the federal parliament.