Poll dates for constitutional posts to be out soon

Kathmandu March 3

Major national parties are likely to decide the dates of elections for top constitutional posts after consulting the Federal Parliament Secretariat and the Election Commission.

The Parliament Secretariat will finalise the date of election for speaker and deputy speaker, National Assembly chairperson and vice-chairperson after an all-party meeting recommends  dates for these elections. The Parliament Secretariat will also fix the date for the prime minister to prove his majority in the House. The Election Commission will have to fix the date for the election of president and vice-president after consulting major parties.

“We will discuss these issues tomorrow and suggest the dates to the Parliament Secretariat and the Election Commission” CPN-Maoist Centre lawmaker Dina Nath Sharma told The Himalayan Times.

Representatives of CPN-UML, Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre, Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal and Federal Socialist forum-Nepal will participate in the all- party meeting.

The Parliament is likely to endorse the internal work procedure and election schedule on Monday as well as the date when the PM will prove majority in the House.

Elections for all the top constitutional posts cannot happen on the same day due to constitutional provisions, which state that the speaker and deputy speaker of Parliament; chairperson and vice-chair of the National Assembly; and president and vice-president should be from different parties and gender. The speaker, deputy speaker, chairperson and vice-chairperson should be elected within 15 days from the first meeting of the Parliament.

As per Article 62 of the he constitution, an electoral college, comprising voting members of the Federal Parliament and the members of the Provincial Assemblies shall elect the president. It shall be done as provided for in law with the difference of weightage in voting of members of the federal parliament and the members of provincial Assembly.

The all-party meeting, which is slated for tomorrow will decide on the date when the PM will prove majority after consulting the PM.  As per the tentative schedule, lawmakers will take the oath of office and secrecy in the Parliament tomorrow. The first meeting of the Parliament will endorse its internal work procedure, which will be finalised by the all-party meeting tomorrow. “We will make changes, if any, on the draft,” Sharma said. The internal work procedure was drafted by the Parliament Secretariat.

The first meeting of both houses will endorse the internal work procedure on Monday and might announce the top election dates for the constitutional posts,  said the Parliament Secretariat. As per the understanding among national political parties, the date for election of the speaker of the House of Representative is likely to be March 10.

Left alliance leaders have allocated the post of speaker to CPN-MC and Deputy Speaker to CPN-UML. CPN-MC leaders including Krishna BahadurMahara, DevGurung and JaypuriGharti are eying the post. But Mahara is more likely to be elected speaker. As per the constitutional provision, Prime Minister Oli will have to take vote of confidence within a month from the date he was appointed. He was appointed on the basis of Article 76 (2).

PM Oli told left alliance lawmakers in the Parliament building today that the date for vote of confidence would be March 11. The all party meeting is likely to decide on the same date.

The date of election for president is likely to be set for March 13. Left alliance has allocated post of president for the CPN-UML and vice president for the CPN-MC. According to a left alliance leader, incumbent President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Vice-president Nanda Bahadur Pun are likely to be re-elected.

According to Sharma, the date of election for National Assembly chairperson is likely to be on March 17 and for the posts of vice-president, vice-chairperson of NA and deputy speaker will be held after the second week of March. They will be elected by March 24 said Sharma.

Tentative schedule

  • Election for speaker March 10
  • Vote of confidence March 11
  • Presidential election March 13
  • NA chair election March17