Oli, Dahal will finalize Speaker before Jan 12: Sharma

“SPEAKER NOMINATION NOT PRESIDENT’S CONCERN”

KATHMANDU, Jan 6: Nepal Communist Party chiefs K P Sharma Oli, also prime minister and Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ will finalize the candidate for the position of Speaker before the next meeting of the House of Representatives scheduled for January 12, said leader Dina Nath Sharma.

Although the winter session of the parliament began on December 20, the meeting has been postponed two times as the ruling party struggles to name the candidate for the Speaker. The position has remained vacant since Krishna Bahadur Mahara stepped on Oct 1 following the attempted rape allegation.

“The party will pick a name before Jan 12. The two chairs have said it will only take two or three minutes to nominate a candidate,” said Sharma speaking at an interaction program organized by the Reporters’ Club Nepal on Monday.

In the absence of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker Shiva Maya Tumbahamphe has been leading the House for the past three months.

Tumbahamphe herself has claimed her stake for the position saying she should be upgraded and has frequently turned down Prime Minister Oli’s request to tender her resignation.

She also rejected Oli’s proposal of a position of a minister when the prime minister reorganized his Council of Ministers in November.

But, according to Sharma, Tumbahamphe will tender her resignation after the party’s decision to pave way for the party to field its candidate.

The Constitution of Nepal does not allow the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House to be the representatives from the same party.

“The position of the deputy speaker will be given to the opposition parties. The party is discussing this matter,” said Sharma.

“Tumbahamphe will have to resign after party makes the decision,” he added.

Reports have claimed that Tumbahamphe has been reluctant to give up the post since she gets the support for President Bidya Devi Bhandari.

Sharma clarified that the nomination of Speaker is not the area of concern for the president.

“The president takes stock of the political situation and developments. Oli and Dahal can meet her and briefs her about the developments but the matter will be finalized by the parliament after the two chairs take the decision,” he said.