Ex-PM Thapa becomes chairman of Nepal Constituent Assembly

Five-time Nepal Premier and veteran politician Surya Bahadur Thapa today assumed the post of chairman of the newly-elected Constituent Assembly.
The 86-year-old Thapa, president of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, assumed the post of Constituent Assembly (CA) Chairman and Speaker of the Legislature today, in his capacity as the senior most member of the CA.
Thapa was sworn-in as the Constituent Assembly Chairman by President Ram Baran Yadav at a special function at the Rastrapati Bhawan here.
Five-time Prime Minister Thapa has been elected as head of the 601-member assembly under proportionate voting system.
"This post and achievement carries great and historic value in my long political career and there is no limitation to my pleasure at this moment," he told reporters after the swearing-in ceremony.

Thapa will administer oath of office to other CA members tomorrow.

The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly is scheduled to start on January 26.
The composition of the CA was delayed after the Maoists alleged fraud in polls and threatened to boycott the assembly. After weeks of negotiations, they agreed to participate in it.
The Nepali Congress won 196 seats and the CPN (UML) got 175 while the Maoists won just 80 of the 575 seats in the November polls, finishing third.
Under the PR system, 335 members of the assembly are chosen according to the proportion of votes secured by political parties in the elections. A total of 240 seats were elected under a direct voting system, while the remaining 26 members will be nominated by the government.

A new government is expected to be led by the Nepali Congress, which will nominate the 26 members.