Nepal Parliament postponed for third time in winter session

The Lower House of Nepal's Parliament has been postponed for the third time in the latest winter session over the post of speaker.

Parliament Secretariat on Sunday announced adjournment of Parliamentary meeting till 1 PM of January 20 citing a special reason. Post of House Speaker of Nepal's Lower House has remained vacant after Krishna Bahadur Mahara stepped down on October 2, 2019, following an allegation of sexual harassment.

Deputy Speaker of Nepal's Lower House Shivamaya Tumbahamphe was scheduled to chair the meeting of Sunday afternoon but was cancelled. The Nepal Communist Party (NCP) leadership on Saturday has asked Tumbahamphe to tender her resignation but was turned down.

Two previous Lower House Sessions that were to be held on December 27, 2019, and January 1 under Fifth Federal Parliament session that commenced from December 20 last year were adjourned.

The meeting of the House of Representatives has been greatly affected by the ongoing discussion in the ruling party--NCP, surrounding the appointment of the Speaker.

This time the election for the Speaker is seen with much caution because of the constitutional provision which demands that speaker and deputy speaker to be representatives from different parties and of the opposite sex.

"The election under clause (1) shall be so held that there is one woman as either Speaker or Deputy Speaker, and the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be representatives from different parties," states the constitution.