Prime Minister (PM) and CPN Chairman KP Sharma Oli and another Chairman Puhspa Kamal Dahal failed to agree about the party's candidate for speaker even on Friday.
The two chairmen had a positive meeting but still stuck to their respective stances in the meeting held at the PM's official residence in Baluwatar after the meeting with Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba and other leaders about appointment at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), and the Commission for the Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons, and formulation of new laws.
Both the former CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) factions are claiming for the post of speaker. Oli wishes to make former Constituent Assembly chairman Subas Chandra Nembang the speaker while Dahal has been insisting that Agni Sapkota from the Maoist faction should get the post.
"PM Oli told Dahal that the latter failed to take any decision on speaker through the party and he will now take the decision through the parliamentary party," a party source confided.
The context in which Oli said that has yet to be revealed. It is not clear whether he was joking with Dahal as is his wont or telling Dahal that the candidate will be chosen following an election in the parliamentary party.
Leaders close to Oli claim that he has yet to back down from his wish to make Nembang the next speaker. "PM's wish still is to make Nembang the speaker. He wants to make a confidant, who will make thing easier for him, speaker," a minister close to Oli told Setopati. The minister added that Oli has put a condition that he should get to choose the person even if the candidate were to be a former Maoist.
Oli is suspicious also because the erstwhile Maoists are negative about the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) that has to be passed through the House and wants to appoint someone who can facilitate its endorsement, according to the minister.
Oli's suspicions escalated after Dahal, senior leaders Jhala Nath Khanal and Madhav Kumar Nepal, and CPN Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha met at the residence of secretariat member Bam Dev Gautam on January 8.
Deputy Speaker Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe has been defying secretariat meeting's decision asking her to resign while the party has also not been able to select its candidate.
The former Maoists in ruling CPN have started to feel that she has not resigned on instruction of Oli while The House meeting has already been postponed thrice due to the intra-party dispute in the ruling CPN about its candidate for speaker.
The secretariat meeting at the prime minister's residence in Baluwatar on Saturday had asked Deputy Speaker Tumbahangphe to resign even as she had already turned down the request by CPN Chairmen KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal to resign on Friday.
The chairman duo had urged Tumbahangphe to pave the way for speaker election by resigning during the meeting at the prime minister's residence in Baluwatar Friday. But she asked for the reasons that disqualified her from being the next speaker.
"I was active in student politics and am still active. I have studied and taught. What are my weaknesses?" a source quoted her as asking the chairmen.
She also took exception to comments of CPN Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha and chief whip Dev Gurung that the election process has been stalled due to her refusal to resign.
The source revealed that she urged the chairmen to allow her to continue as deputy speaker if deemed incompetent for speaker.
Ruling CPN cannot claim for the post of speaker if the election process starts without her resigning. The senior most lawmaker will then run the House if she resigns.
The ruling party will have to ask Deputy Speaker Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe, 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.
Both the former CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) factions are claiming for the post of speaker. Oli wishes to make former Constituent Assembly chairman Subas Chandra Nembang the speaker while 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 Tumbahanghe's own claim for the post and refusal to resign if denied has compounded matters for the party.
The post of speaker is vacant after Krishna Bahadur Mahara resigned following rape allegation by a federal parliament secretariat staffer.
