Presidium Coordinator of Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJP) Rajendra Mahato has staked the party's claim for the post of deputy speaker after alliance with the ruling CPN for National Assembly election.
Talking with Setopati after the alliance on Thursday, Mahato staked claim for the post of deputy speaker as CPN cannot keep both the posts of speaker and deputy speaker.
The post of speaker is vacant after Krishna Bahadur Mahara resigned following rape allegation by a federal parliament secretariat staffer.
The ruling party will have to ask Deputy Speaker Shiva Maya Tumbahamphe, whose allegiance is now with CPN having won the last general election on a CPN-UML ticket, to resign to keep the post of speaker with the party as the Constitution prohibits appointment of speaker and deputy speaker from the same party.
RJP has staked claim for the post of deputy speaker with CPN keeping that of the speaker.
"We, however, have not talked with the ruling party on the issue of deputy speaker until now," Mahato conceded. "It is normal for political parties to claim for positions. We believe we should get the post."
Calling the alliance with CPN on National Assembly positive, he stated the agreement has initiated discussion between the two parties. "This is just an electoral alliance. CPN will gain two seats and we will also keep the two seats that were being vacant," he explained the alliance.
The NA will get 19 new members elected by the electoral college.
Eight members are elected from each province and three are nominated by the president in the 59-strong NA. Nineteen members had returned a two-year term when lottery was drawn on June 19.
Term of three members from Province 1, four from Province 2, two from Province 3, two from Gandaki, three from Province 5, two from Karnali and two from Far West, and one nominated by the president will end after March 4. The new members will be elected in the same proportion from each province, and one will be nominated by President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
CPN has strong majority in six provinces and is the largest party in Province 2. It will sweep all the seats in six provinces in the election. It will now win two seats and RJP two from Province 2 after the latest alliance.
CPN will gain on seat lost by the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) and one by Socialist Party Nepal in the province.
The seats of NC will be reduced from March 4 as the term of seven of 13 NC members will end in two years.
CPN will sweep 17 seats and RJP two in the election for 19 members to be held using the system of single transferrable vote (STV).
