KATHMANDU: The meeting of the Bagmati Provincial Assembly has become uncertain after ruling coalition partners Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML both laid claim to the vacant Speaker’s post.
The Speaker’s position fell vacant after then Speaker Bhuwan Kumar Pathak submitted his written resignation on September 17. Pathak had earlier announced his resignation through social media during the Gen-Z protests.
Despite the vacancy, the Provincial Assembly has failed to convene for the past four months as the two ruling parties have been unable to reach a consensus on who should lead the Assembly. Bagmati Provincial Assembly Secretary Ram Kumar Paudel said there is currently no information regarding when the next meeting will be held.
“So far, no information has been received from the government regarding the Assembly meeting, which is why it remains uncertain,” Paudel said.
On the recommendation of the government, Province Chief Deepak Prasad Devkota had ended the ongoing session of the Provincial Assembly from the night of November 19. However, the failure to convene a new session is widely believed to be linked to the lack of agreement between the ruling parties over the Speaker’s post.
Paudel noted that once an Assembly session is called, the Speaker must be elected within 15 days as per the legal provision. “Because of this provision, the government appears to be avoiding calling the Assembly meeting until the ruling parties reach an understanding on the Speaker,” he said.
Both the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML have been staking claim to the post. UML parliamentary party chief whip Eklal Shrestha said the party’s claim to the Speaker’s position is natural as the Chief Minister belongs to the Nepali Congress.
“The Speaker should come from UML since the Chief Minister is from Congress. This has been our consistent position,” Shrestha said.
On the other hand, Nepali Congress Bagmati Provincial parliamentary party chief whip Pukar Maharjan said disagreement among ruling coalition partners has stalled consensus. “Each ruling party has its own claim to the Speaker’s post, which is why an agreement has not been reached so far,” he said.
The prolonged deadlock has effectively paralyzed the Provincial Assembly, delaying legislative business and oversight activities. Political observers say continued uncertainty over the Speaker’s post could further strain coordination within the ruling coalition in Bagmati Province.
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