President Ram Chandra Paudel has put on hold the government’s recommendation to appoint Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal as a member of the National Assembly.
A Cabinet meeting held on March 15 had decided to recommend Aryal’s name for one vacant position in the National Assembly to be appointed by the president. Aryal himself had announced the Cabinet decision in his capacity as government spokesperson.
In the National Assembly, the seats of one-third members fall vacant every two years. Among the vacant seats, three members are nominated by the president based on the Cabinet’s recommendation.
One of these nominated seats had become vacant after Bamdev Gautam resigned. His term officially ended on March 4, though he stepped down shortly before that.
Although the government led by Sushila Karki recommended Aryal for this vacant seat, the president has not proceeded with the appointment and has instead held the recommendation.
Meanwhile, a writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Cabinet’s decision to recommend Aryal for the National Assembly.
The petition, filed by advocate Manish Kumar Shrestha and others, demands that the recommendation be annulled. The hearing has been scheduled for April 8.
“The government has sent a recommendation to appoint Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal to the post of National Assembly member. The president has kept the matter on hold,” a source close to the president told Setopati.
Following the House of Representatives election on March 5, the Rastriya Swatantra Party has emerged with nearly a two-thirds majority and is preparing to form a government under senior leader Balen Shah.
According to the source, the president has indicated that it would be appropriate for the new government with a fresh mandate to make a recommendation for the vacant National Assembly seat.
“A government with a fresh mandate is being formed soon in the country. The president is of the view that it would be appropriate to make an appointment to that post based on the recommendation of the new government,” the source said.
It has been five days since the Cabinet decided to recommend Aryal for the National Assembly position.
