KATHMANDU: The Legislature-Parliament would hold fresh elections of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker as per the transitional provisions in the new Constitution on Friday.

Nepa: Rastriya Party's Laxman Rajbanshi, the eldest member present in the House, chaired today's House meeting as Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang and Deputy Speaker Onsari Gharti resigned from their respective posts to pave the way for the elections.

After reading out the content of their resignation, Ranjbanshi announced that the House would hold the Speaker's election at 3 pm on Friday and that of the Deputy Speaker at 5 pm the same day.

Meanwhile, the House endorsed a condolence motion on the demise of former lawmaker Chandra Bahadur Karki of Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal. Lawmakers observed one minute silence also to pay respect to Karki who was member of the Constituent Assembly I.

The House has been adjourned till 3 pm tomorrow.

The candidates for the two posts would have to file their nominations tomorrow.

Article 299 of Nepal's Constitution

(2) If the session of the Legislature Parliament is ongoing at the time of commencement of this constitution, then from the date of the commencement of the constitution; and if the parliament is not in session, then from the date of the summoning of the session under Clause (6) of Article 296; within twenty days the Speaker and Deputy Speaker shall be elected on the basis of political understanding by the members of the Legislature Parliament from amongst themselves.

(3) If political understanding cannot be reached as per clause (2), the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker shall be elected by simple majority of the current members of the Legislature Parliament.

(4) While electing Speaker and Deputy Speaker as per clause (2) and (3), the Speaker and Deputy Speaker shall belong to different political parties representing at the Legislature Parliament.