KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress (NC) has decided not to field a candidate for the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives, instead signaling support for Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) candidate Dol Prasad (DP) Aryal.
Nepali Congress General Secretary Pradeep Poudel said the party chose not to contest the position to uphold the neutrality of the Speaker’s office.
“We are not fielding a candidate for Speaker—not because we lack proposers or supporters, but because the post must remain neutral and impartial,” Poudel said. “Once elected, the Speaker should rise above party affiliation and resign from all party positions.”
He said the decision was guided by the principle of maintaining institutional neutrality rather than political calculations. “Since we are not fielding a candidate, it is clear we are supporting the likely winner. The Speaker’s role should not be subject to partisan favoritism,” he added.
Poudel also dismissed the notion that opposition parties must unite behind a common candidate in the Speaker election. He noted that even if CPN-UML fields its candidate, Guru Baral, there is little chance of success given the current parliamentary arithmetic, and reiterated support for Aryal.
Nominations for the Speaker election are scheduled to be registered between 11 am and 2 pm today. Meanwhile, Poudel said the Nepali Congress has a legitimate claim to the Deputy Speaker’s post. “In line with constitutional spirit and democratic norms, it is natural for the main opposition to hold the Deputy Speaker position,” he said.
RSP Deputy Chairman Dol Prasad (DP) Aryal has already registered his candidacy for Speaker. His nomination has been proposed by party Chair Rabi Lamichhane and supported by lawmakers Dr. Swarnim Wagle, Sobita Gautam, and Sunil Lamsal.
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