KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Swatantra Party has decided to nominate its vice-chair Dol Prasad Aryal as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Party spokesperson Manish Jha said the decision was taken unanimously following a proposal by party chair Rabi Lamichhane.
The decision was made during a meeting of the party’s parliamentary party held on Thursday.
Aryal, who has served as the party’s vice-chair since its establishment, is being entrusted with the responsibility of leading parliamentary proceedings.
Party leaders said Balen Shah had also advised Lamichhane to send Aryal to the Speaker’s position, although Aryal had earlier been considered a contender for the post of home minister in the Shah-led government.
According to party leaders, Aryal is set to become Speaker with the consensus of both the party chair and the prime minister. He had played a key leadership role in the party when Lamichhane was sent to prison earlier.
Leaders say Aryal’s coordinating role within the party helped secure the decision to nominate him for the post.
In the current House, the Rastriya Swatantra Party holds 182 seats, just two short of a two-thirds majority.
While the Speaker is expected to come from the ruling side, the Constitution requires that the Deputy Speaker be from the opposition and of a different gender. The party that will get the Deputy Speaker position has yet to be decided.
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