KATHMANDU: Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada is completing his two-year term as a National Assembly lawmaker, along with 18 other lawmakers, today.

Fifty-nine members of the Upper House of the Federal Parliament are serving six, four and two years' tenure based on the term-chits drawn by them on formation of the house. Khatiwada and 18 other lawmakers had drawn the two-year lot while the forty others are divided in the four and six year lots.

Speculations ran rife in the past few weeks regarding Khatiwada's reappointment as reports of intra-party rifts emerged with the top-leaders of the ruling party standing divided on endorsing a name for the only vacant spot in the Upper House. While Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his depurty, Defense Minister Ishwar Pokharel wanted Khatiwada to be reappointed to the NA, others in the party Secretariat, including co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal batted for vice-chair Bam Dev Gautam's nomination.

PM Oli had also accorded the Finance Minister, his trusted aide, with the responsibility of Communications Ministry after former Minister Gokul Baskota's oust. During his first press-meet as the government spokesperson, Khatiwada seemed assured of his continuity. "Let me just say that I will see you on March 4 on my reappointment,” he had told the mediapersons present at the meet.

Meanwhile, majority of the secretariat members are adamant on Gautam's appointment to the Assembly and have reiterated that not even the PM can go against the party's decision.

PM Oli, who is undergoing a kidney transplant on Wednesday, did not address the matter during the last cabinet meeting held before his surgery.