The Nepali Congress has decided not to field a candidate for the position of speaker of the House of Representatives.
According to General Secretary Pradip Paudel, the party will not file candidacy for the post.
The filing of nominations for the speaker's election is scheduled for Friday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
"We will not be field a candidate for speaker; it's not because we lack a proposer or a supporter," Paudel told Setopati. "The position of speaker is neutral, and their role must remain impartial. The process defines who gets which responsibility. Since the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is the largest party, the RSP candidate is clearly poised to win. Rather than focusing on who wins based on the process and the arithmetic, we decided not to field a candidate because we believe the speaker’s neutrality will be maintained."
The election for speaker is set to take place on April 5.
In the 275-member House of Representatives, the RSP holds 182 seats and currently runs a single-party government.
The Nepali Congress has 38 lawmakers in the House.
