NCP nominates Gautam as NA member, dissolves constitution amendment task force

KATHMANDU, Feb 26: The Nepal Communist Party has decided to nominate Bam Dev Gautam as a National Assembly (NA) member on Wednesday.

A secretariat meeting of the ruling party held in Baluwatar took the decision.

Gautam will be nominated to the upper house by President Bidya Devi Bhandari upon the recommendation of the Council of Ministers. He will succeed NA member and incumbent Minister for Finance Yubaraj Khatiwada whose two year tenure is due to expire next month.

The meeting has also dissolved the task force formed to carry out necessary homework to amend the constitution paving way for a NA member to become the head of the government, according to party Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha.

The decision to dissolve the three-member task force led by Madhav Kumar Nepal has dashed Gautam’s hopes to become the prime minister. Gautam has demanded an amendment in the Article 76 which only allows the member of House of Representatives to become the prime minister.

The election of the upper house held on Jan 23 has already elected 18 members to replace the outgoing 19 member in the 59-member National Assembly.