Mahara likely to be HoR speaker

  • The PM had tried to convince Dahal that the post should be left for Nembang

Kathmandu March 8

Senior CPN-Maoist Centre leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara is likely to be the left alliance candidate for the post of speaker.

Though Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal met today and finalised Mahara’s name as the left alliance candidate for the post, top leaders of the CPN-MC are scheduled to meet tomorrow morning to finalise the name for the speaker’s post.

According to left alliance sources, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had tried to convince Dahal that his party could take one more ministry and the post of chairperson of the National Assembly and leave the post of speaker for UML’s Subas Chandra Nembang. Although the UML had agreed to give the post of speaker to the CPN-MC, the PM, however, changed his mind, as he thought there could not be a better post for Nembang since he is a former speaker.

Dahal was initially positive on Oli’s proposal, as there are many aspirants for the post in his party, but later changed his mind, as Mahara repeatedly laid his claim to the post.

The left alliance had earlier agreed to allocate the post of speaker to the CPN-MC, and deputy speaker to the CPN-UML. As per the constitutional provision, speaker and deputy speaker of the House of Representatives should be from different parties and different gender and the elections should take place within 15 days of the first meeting of the Parliament.

As per the schedule, candidates for the post will have to file their nomination papers tomorrow at the Parliament Secretariat  from 10:00am to 1:00pm. The Federal Parliament Secretariat will publish names of candidates at 1:30 pm tomorrow itself. The election for speaker will be held on Saturday.

Left alliance leaders have yet to reach understanding on sharing the posts of NA chairperson and vice-chairperson. The post of NA chairperson is likely to go to the UML and vice-chair to the CPN-MC.

As per allocation of ministries, the CPN-MC will get six ministries if the Federal Socialist Forum- Nepal joins the government. CPN-MC leaders Ram Bahadur Thapa and Matrika Yadav have already been sworn in as ministers.

Mahara has told Dahal, Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Ram Bahadur Thapa that he wants to be the speaker. But Barshaman Pun is adamant that his wife and former speaker Onsari Gharti Magar be made the speaker again. He has been arguing that since the president and the vice-president will be re-elected, Onsari should also be re-elected.

Dev Gurung also has shown keen interest in the post of speaker. Sources said Dahal had assured Gurung that he would be made the party’s chief whip in the Parliament.