Until now, the prime minister had been addressing the official ceremony organized on Republic Day. However, starting this year, the president will address the event.
The government made this decision through a recent Cabinet meeting.
"Since the president is the symbol of the republic, the prime minister had already been suggesting verbally that it would be more appropriate for the president, rather than the prime minister, to address the Republic Day ceremony. However, the latest Cabinet meeting formally made the decision, and a letter of the decision has been received along with the prime minister’s request to address the ceremony," a source at the President's Office told Setopati.
Chief Secretary Suman Raj Aryal visited the presidential palace, Sheetal Niwas, on Sunday to deliver the Cabinet’s decision and Prime Minister Balen Shah’s letter of request.
According to the source at the President's Office, the decision should be viewed as meaning the president will address the Republic Day ceremony, rather than as the prime minister will no longer speak on Republic Day.
Nepal was declared a republic on May 28, 2008 (Jestha 15, 2065 BS).
Since then, an official ceremony has been held every year on Republic Day at Tundikhel, where the prime minister would traditionally deliver the address.
Then-prime minister KP Sharma Oli addressed the Republic Day ceremony in 2025.
Before that, Pushpa Kamal Dahal addressed the ceremonies in 2024 and 2023, while Sher Bahadur Deuba delivered the address in 2022.
The Republic Day ceremony is usually attended by high-ranking officials including the president, vice-president, prime minister, speaker of the House of Representatives, chairperson of the National Assembly, chief justice, deputy speaker, and other dignitaries.
