Nepal Parliament to elect new speaker, deputy speaker

KATHMANDU: Nepal's Parliament is set to elect the new speaker and deputy speaker on Friday as per the provision of the new Constitution.

Setting the stage for the election, Speaker Subhas Nembang and Deputy Speaker Onsari Gharti today resigned from their posts, according to the Parliament secretariat.

While tendering his resignation, Speaker Nembang said the challenge of promulgating the new constitution is now over and the major challenge is to implement the statute.

The enthusiastic participation by all the political parties in the prime ministerial election proves that all have accepted the Constitution, he pointed out.

The agitating Madhesi parties, that had boycotted the constitution-drafting process in the last minute and burnt copies of the statute, took part in the implementation of the Constitution by casting votes in the prime ministerial election, he added.

As per the election schedule, the Parliament will start the process of electing the new speaker and deputy speaker through consensus tomorrow.

If no agreement could be reached among the political parties to elect the speaker and deputy speaker through consensus, the election for the same will be conducted on Friday.