Kathmandu, March 4

Major parties have decided to fix the dates of election for the top constitutional posts after consulting the Federal Parliament Secretariat and the Election Commission.

The first meeting of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly will endorse their internal work procedure tomorrow and might also announce dates for election to the top constitutional posts, stated the Parliament Secretariat.

The Parliament Secretariat will finalise dates to elect the speaker and deputy speaker and National Assembly chairperson and vice-chairperson, as per the all-party meeting’s suggestions.

Representatives of the CPN-UML, Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre, Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal and Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal participated in the all-party meeting held here today. The parties recommended to the Parliament Secretariat to ask the prime minister to prove his majority in the House of Representatives on March 11.

As per the constitutional provision, the PM has to take the vote of confidence within a month of his appointment as the prime minister. KP Sharma Oli was appointed the PM on February 15. The all-party meeting decided to elect the speaker of the House of Representatives on March 10. CPN-MC leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara is the top contender for the post.

According to CPN-MC leader Dinanath Sharma, who attended the all-party meeting,  National Assembly chairperson will be elected on March 12 and NA vice-chairperson on March 15.  Sharma is eyeing the post of NA chairperson.

The parties had earlier decided to elect the president on March 13. Vice-president and deputy speaker will be elected before March 24.

According to a left alliance leader who is close to PM Oli as well as CPN-MC Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, incumbent President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Vice-president Nanda Bahadur Pun are likely to be re-elected.