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Ishwori Devi Neupane took the oath of office and secrecy as the Chair of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives. She took the oath before Speaker Devraj Ghimire today. 

Earlier today, she was elected unopposed to the post that had remained vacant following the resignation of Chair of the Committee Ramhari Khatiwada of the Nepali Congress. 

The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Singha Durbar-based Federal Parliament Secretariat. 

The Home Minister, the Minister for Defense, the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, the Minister for Youth and Sports, the chief whips of political parties representing in the Parliament and lawmakers were present on the occasion. 

Neupane, who represents the Nepali Congress (NC) in the lower house under the proportional representation system, was the sole candidate for the post.

Chief Justice (CJ) Prakashman Singh Raut clarified that there was no dispute in the formation of the constitutional bench.

He delivered this remark in the wake of formation of the constitutional bench comprising CJ Raut and senior-most justices Sapana Malla, Dr Nahakul Subedi, Til Prasad Shrestha and Binod Sharma today.

CJ Raut asserted that he formed the bench by exercising the constitutional rights to appoint four justices in the constitutional bench.

It may be noted that the Article 137 of Nepal's constitution has provision for constitutional bench. 

Talking to media persons, CJ Raut reiterated, "There is no dispute in the formation of the constitutional bench.” 

He explained, "The Constitution itself has granted the Chief Justice the constitutional authority to form the bench and I formed the bench exercising it."

Expressing his concern over the misconceptions being spread regarding the formation of the constitutional bench, he clarified, "The Constitution has clear provision on the formation of the constitutional bench. I am effortful to make the court dignified, transparent and accountable and uphold the judiciary's integrity."

According to him, the earlier Full Court (full meeting) of the Supreme Court had discussed ways to make the constitutional bench more organized and no disagreement arose regarding its formation.

The constitutional bench, which had been inactive for some time, resumed its operations today. 

Currently, there are 228 cases under consideration in the bench.

CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has vowed to dismantle factionalism in the party. He also claimed that public trust was growing in the party. 

In an audiovisual message to the full meeting of the party's Karnali Province, Chairman Dahal reminded that the Standing Committee meeting of the party had made a resolution to make the party strong and unified by ending groupism, anarchy and conflict in the party. 

Dahal characterized the victory of party leaders at local levels, student unions and the Nepal Mountaineering Association as the symbol of rising public trust in the party, according to Dahal's personal secretariat. 

The 10th Central Committee meeting of the CPN-UML called for August 29 has been postponed. 

UML Central Publicity Department Chief, Rajendra Gautam shared that the meeting set for August 29 at the central office in Chyasal, Lalitpur has been adjourned. 

The pre-set meeting has been postponed due to inadequate preparations, he shared. 

It may be noted that the UML had called the meeting meant for gearing up preparations for its second statutory convention. 

There was an agenda to present the report with recommendations on party statute amendment at the Central Committee, but it is still continuing, so the meeting has to be put off, Gautam added. 

A fresh date for the meeting will be fixed  soon, he said. 

The party has set August 27 as the deadline for its subordinate committees to submit recommendations on the statute amendment.