Kathmandu, January 11:

The seven-party alliance (SPA) wants the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Subas Nembang, to chair the interim legislature, but the Maoist leadership is opposed to the idea.

SPA leaders have been lobbying for Nembang. “As Speaker Nembang conducted the parliamentary proceedings of the revived House perfectly, he must chair the interim legislature as well,” MP and chief whip of the NC (D), Tek Bahadur Chokhyal, told this daily.

Another MP from the NC-D, Hom Nath Dahal, said: “Given the current political scenario, it will be better to retain Nembang and Chitra Lekha Yadav as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.”

However, Maoist leader Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai, said, “As the SPA is leading the government, we must head the legislative.” He said that his party had demanded the posts for them in the all-party meeting held yesterday.

CPN-UML general secretary, Madhav Kumar Nepal, is learnt to have proposed that Nembang be allowed to chair the interim parliament.