The process to elect speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) will be delayed with the ruling CPN failing to agree on its candidate.
Deputy parliamentary party leader of Subas Chandra Nembang had earlier claimed that the party has already agreed on the candidate and added that Deputy Speaker Shiva Maya Tumbahamphe will resign by Friday. The election process was scheduled to start during the House meeting on Friday.
"CPN has apparently failed to agree on the candidate. Deputy Speaker has yet to resign," a federal parliament source stated. "The meeting may be postponed by putting a notice."
Both the former CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) factions are claiming for the post of speaker. CPN Chairman KP Sharma Oli wishes to make former Constituent Assembly chairman Nembang the speaker while another Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has been insisting that Agni Sapkota from the Maoist faction should get the post.
The Maoist faction points that it should again get the post it had received during the power sharing before party unification.
Deputy Speaker Tumbahamphe has also staked claim for the post.
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.
