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The CPN-UML has nominated Bhagawati Neupane as the Chief Whip of the UML Parliamentary Party in the National Assembly, the upper chamber of the Federal Parliament.

UML Federal Parliamentary Party leader KP Sharma Oli today nominated Neupane the Chief Whip in the upper house.

Neupane said that Chair Oli nominated her the UML Chief Whip in the National Assembly as per the UML Parliamentary Party Statute-2077 BS effective from March 4.

Neupane has been appointed in place of the current Chief Whip Bhairab Sundar Shrestha whose term is expiring from tomorrow.

UML central member Neupane represents Tanahun in the National Assembly.

The tenures of 20 National Assembly lawmakers including Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina are expiring today.

They were elected for six years through a lottery method in 2018.

Among them, 19 were elected and Bimala Rai was nominated by the President.

Nine lawmakers from the CPN-UML, four from the Nepali Congress, three from the CPN (Maoist Center) and two from the CPN (Unified Socialist), one from the Janata Samajbadi Party and an independent lawmaker are completing their term today.

Lawmakers whose terms are expiring today are as follows:

UML

1. Ganesh Prasad Timilsina

2. Indu Kadariya

3. Deepa Gurung

4. Dil Kumari Rawal Thapa

5. Kumar Dasaundi

6. Narapati Luwar

7. Bhairav Kumar Shrestha

8. Ram Chandra Rai

9. Bimala Rai Paudyal (nominated)

Nepali Congress

1. Ramesh Jung Rayamajhi

2. Jitendra Narayan Dev

3. Prakash Pantha

4. Anita Devkota

CPN (Maoist Center)

1. Bina Pokharel

2. Mahesh Kumar Mahara

3. Hari Ram Chaudhary

CPN (Unified Socialist)

1. Nanda Chapagain

2. Singa Bahadur Bishwokarma

Janata Samajbadi Party

1. Pramila Kumari

Independent lawmaker

1. Khimlal Devkota

The names of the lawmakers who are replacing the 20 lawmakers whose terms are expiring today are:

Nepali Congress

1. Krishna Prasad Sitaula

2. Ananda Prasad Dhungana

3. Bishnu Kumari Pudasaini

4. Jit Jung Basnet

5. Padam Kumar Pariyar

6. Kiran Babu Shrestha

7. Bishnu Kumari Sapkota

8. Krishna Bahadur Rokaya

9. Baldev Bohara

10.Narayan Dutta Bhatta

CPN (Maoist Center)

1. Shree Krishna Adhikari

2. Manarupa Sharma

3. Jhakku Subedi

4. Bishnu Bahadur Bishwokarma

5. Renu Chand

CPN (Unified Socialist)

1. Ghanshyam Rijal

2. Sabitri Malla

UML

1. Rukmuni Koirala

Janata Samajbadi Party

1. Puja Chaudhary

They are scheduled to take the oath of office and secrecy tomorrow.

National Assembly (NA) lawmakers, speaking in the discussions on the principles and priorities of the Appropriation Bill for the upcoming fiscal year, called for giving emphasis on employment generation and youth mobilization by upholding good governance.

Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat had presented the Principles and Priorities of Appropriation Bill for next fiscal year in the meeting of the National Assembly, the upper house of the Federal Parliament, on February 26.

Taking part in the debate in the NA meeting today, lawmakers underscored on making the budget functional and on improvement in the tendency of getting the budget passed from Parliament by issuing whip, but not obeying the suggestions in the course of implementing it.

Similarly, they emphasized on giving high priority to the agriculture sector, ensuring security to the health workers, making clear the responsibilities on service delivery of the three tiers of government, bringing a plan for consumption of electricity produced in Nepal within the country itself and on also increasing capital expenditure and revenue collection.

Prakash Pantha, Dilkumari Rawal (Parbati), Dr Khimlal Devkota among other lawmakers participated in the discussions.

Dr Devkota on the occasion called attention of the government, saying those ministers who were said to participate in the meeting were not present in the meeting.

President of the Legislation Management Committee, Jayanti Devi Rai, presented the Bill on Anti-Money Laundering and the Promotion of Business Environment, 2079 BS in the meeting today.

She also presented the report of the onsite study programme on law-making process and practices of the local levels.

Government's attention drawn on making provisions for drinking water and irrigation

Similarly, the upper house lawmakers have drawn the attention of the government towards the difficulties faced by the people for lack of drinking water and irrigation facilities in the Tarai-Madhes region.

They expressed their concern on this issue while speaking in the 'zero hour' in the meeting of the National Assembly today.

Lawmaker Tulasa Kumari Dahal called on the government to make arrangements for providing pure drinking water to the people in the Madhes. She also stressed on conservation of the Chure ecosystem by stopping its over-exploitation and on making arrangements for irrigation in the Madhes which is the 'breadbasket' of the country.

Lawmaker Jaga Prasad Sharma called for putting an end to the trend of meager expenditure of the budget appropriated for big projects, drawing the government's attention to finding a solution to this problem.

Taraman Swar called on the government to expedite the construction of the Seti and Mahakali highways, considered as the backbone for the economy and development of the Sudurpaschim and to ensure budget for these road projects in the next fiscal year's budget.

Bhagawati Neupane urged the government to develop the birthplace of pioneer poet of Nepali as a tourism destination. Bimala Ghimire drew the attention of the government for immediately addressing the demands of farmers and the victims of usurious lending.

Lawmaker Sumitra BC called for immediately taking ahead the process for reconstruction of houses for the earthquake-affected people of Jajarkot who are still living under tents even after nearly four months since the disaster.

The National Assembly today endorsed the 'Martyr Dashrath Chand Health Science University Bill, 2080 BS'. 

The Minister of State for Education, Science, and Technology, Pramila Kumari, proposed the meeting to pass the bill, highlighting the government's objective to ensure quality health services for citizens through the establishment of the university.

Prior to this, various lawmakers took part in the deliberations on the bill and in response to their queries, the state minister said the bill aimed to provide quality medical education and healthcare facilities, particularly focusing on the Sudur Paschim Province.

Madan Kumari Shah (Garima), Dil Kumari Rawal Thapa (Parbati), Yubraj Sharma, Suresh Ale Magar, and Kamala Panta contributed to the deliberations.

Furthermore, the meeting unanimously accepted a proposal to amend some acts related to preventing money laundering and promoting a business-friendly atmosphere in the country.

The proposal was tabled by Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, Dhan Raj Gurung.

Bhagawati Neupane, Dr Bimala Rai Poudyal, Dil Kumari Rawal Thapa (Parbati), Radheshyam Paswan, Bhairav Sundar Shrestha, Tulasa Kumari Dahal, Ram Chandra Ray and Devendra Dahal took part in the deliberations,

In response to queries raised during the deliberations on the proposal, the Minister said the bill aimed to strengthen laws against financial crimes. Besides, it is expected to be helpful in promoting financial transparency, building an investment-friendly atmosphere and establishing good governance, according to him.

The minister highlighted that the bill is proposed to discourage illegal financial practices such as the Hundi business, transactions involving crypto currency, and activities related to terrorism.

During the meeting, Sustainable Development and Good Governance Committee President, Prakash Panth, tabled the committee's annual reports for the fiscal years 2079-80 BS (2022-23).

The NA shall meet again at 1:01 pm on Sunday, February 18. 

A meeting of the National Assembly (NA) held on Wednesday unanimously endorsed the report of the Draft Committee on the Amendment of National Assembly Regulations-2075 BS.

Committee's President Suresh Kumar Ale Magar presented the proposal seeking consideration of the Amendment Report on National Assembly Regulations-2075 BS in the beginning of the meeting.

In the theoretical discussion held on the proposal, President Ale Magar responded to all the queries raised by the lawmakers.

NA Chairperson Ganesh Prasad Timilsina apprised the Committee members that those seeking an amendment on the report could register their amendment within 72 hours.

Similarly, the meeting unanimously endorsed Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability (First Amendment) Ordinance-2080 BS.

Likewise, Legislative Management Committee President Jayanti Devi Rai presented the report of the Committee on Sahid Dasaratha Chand Health Science University-Bill-2080 BS.

Meanwhile, the NA meeting passed the condolence motion on the demise of former minister and constituent assembly member Keshav Kumar Budhathoki.

The condolence motion was presented by the NA Chairperson which the meeting endorsed unanimously. Parliamentarians observed a minute of silence and prayed for the eternal peace of departed Budhathoki.

Budhathoki passed away on February 5 while undergoing treatment. He was 80.

NA is convening again at 1: 01 pm on February 11.

The National Concerns and Coordination Committee of the National Assembly has instructed the government to increase coordination between the three levels of government and among the ministries for effective implementation of federalism in the country.

The directive was issued based on a study report prepared by the Committee on the basis of discussion with the relevant agencies and experts of the seven provinces. The report was reviewed in Wednesday's meeting of the committee.

Chairperson of the committee, Dil Kumari Rawal Thapa (Parbati), said that recommendations and instructions have been given to the government to speed up the development of the laws and structures necessary to outline the rights and jurisdiction between the federal, provincial and local level governments. This should be done on the basis of mutual coordination.

Rawal said that the study found that inter-ministerial coordination of the government is not effective. Furthermore, the national coordination council, provincial coordination council, thematic committees under the federal ministry of federal affairs and general administration are also not functioning effectively.

The committee has directed the federal government to prioritize plans after identifying the needs of the country, to formulate and monitor plans and budgets based on clear criteria, and to implement fiscal federalism effectively.

Voting is in progress at the designated polling stations and centers in the capitals of the seven provinces for electing 19 members of the National Assembly (NA). The 19 seats in the Upper House of the Federal Parliament are falling vacant on March 4.

The Election Commission has fixed 9 am to 3 pm today for voting. It stated that counting of votes would be started immediately after the voting concludes.

Election Commission's deputy spokesperson Shreedhar Panthi said voting is under way in all the seven provinces.

According to him, the election results would be announced today itself. The electoral college comprising the Province Assembly members and the chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of rural municipalities, and the mayors and deputy mayors of the urban municipalities will take part in the voting.

A single vote of the Province Assembly member has a weightage of 53 and that of the chair and vice-chair of rural municipalities and mayor and deputy-mayor of urban municipalities carries a weightage of 19. The total vote weightage is 57 thousand 559.

Two thousand and forty-seven voters, including 549 Province Assembly members and 1,498 chair and vice-chair of rural municipalities and mayor and deputy-mayor of urban municipalities will cast their votes in the election.

Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula is looking to make a political comeback by securing a National Assembly seat. Having lost two consecutive general elections of 2017 and 2022, the former home minister seems eager to wear the parliamentarian’s tag. 

The election for 19 new upper house members is set to take place next week and Sitaula’s victory is almost certain, thanks to a strategic electoral alliance within the ruling coalition. Sitaula, whose influence in national as well as party politics has been waning of late, managed to clinch the NA candidacy due to his closeness with the NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba. 

Despite differing opinions within the NC on the election candidates, consensus among top leaders of the ruling parties solidified Sitaula’s position in the upper house. Even Deuba’s rivals in the Congress party, Gagan Kumar Thapa and Shekhar Koirala, are rallying behind Sitaula, hailing it as an exceptional decision. Earlier, Thapa and Koirala were critical of Sitaula’s candidacy. They were in favor of fielding new faces, preferably experts on some fields, to honor the spirit of the NA as envisioned by the Constitution of Nepal, 2015.  

The buzz is that Sitaula’s entry into the federal parliament is not just a personal victory; it’s a strategic move made by the NC leadership to fortify the constitution against mounting challenges from royalist and anti-federal forces.

Whispers of Sitaula taking the reins as the chair of the upper house are also getting louder. Sources say that both CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN (Unified Socialist) have thrown their support behind Sitaula, putting an end to their claims for the coveted position. The term of incumbent NA chairman, Ganesh Prasad Timalsina, is ending in April.

Sitaula’s bid to enter the national assembly despite previous election setbacks has piqued the interest of many. After losing the 2017 and 2022 general elections to Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden from Jhapa constituency 3, Sitaula was relegated to the margins of national politics. Though he enjoyed the title of a senior leader within the Congress party, his role and influence were limited.

Afraid that he could completely lose his relevance inside the party and national politics, Sitaula, who once harbored the ambition of leading the NC, got close to the party president, Deuba. In the meantime, he continued to maintain a good rapport with the top leaders of other major parties, mainly Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal of the Maoist Center. 

According to Sitaula, his candidacy is all about ensuring the complete implementation of the new constitution and safeguarding the rights of the people. 

Starting as a low-profile figure in the party after the restoration of democracy in 1990, Sitaula emerged as a key player during the peace negotiations with Maoist rebels. His alliance with then NC President Girija Prasad Koirala catapulted him into the national political arena, eventually leading to roles as deputy prime minister and minister for home affairs.

Sitaula’s moment to shine came as one of the chief negotiators of peace with the Maoist rebel group. His role in bringing the Maoists into mainstream politics was widely praised.  

After the success of Janaandolan-2, Koirala appointed Sitaula as deputy prime minister and minister for home affairs which further elevated his profile in national politics and inside the party. This also increased his political ambition and started projecting himself as the Koirala’s successor, ahead of other senior leaders including Deuba, Sushil Koirala and Ram Chandra Poudel. He even contested for the position of party president, only to lose the election with a huge margin.

It is no secret that Situala, who has lost his influence and supporters in the party, has only managed to maintain his relevance with Deuba’s support. Now Deuba’s support is set to land him the post of the upper house chair.

The filing of nominations for the National Assembly election scheduled for January 25 is taking place today.

The nomination papers of the candidates are to be registered at the Office of Returning Officer established in the capitals of all seven provinces from 10 am to 3 pm today.

Spokesperson of the Election Commission Shaligram Sharma Poudel informed that all necessary preparation and responsibilities to be placed prior to the registration of nomination has been over.

The province assembly members, chairpersons and vice chairpersons of rural municipalities and mayors and deputy mayors of municipalities are the voters in the NA member election.

As per the legal provision, 549 province assembly members and 2047 local level leaders (mayor/chair and deputy mayor/vice-chairperson) have been enlisted in the voters' roll.

The vote weight of provincial assembly members has been fixed at 53 and that of chiefs and deputy chiefs of municipalities/rural municipalities at 19. The total vote weight of provincial assembly members is 29,097 and that of chiefs and deputy chiefs is 28,462.

According to the Election Commission, the final list of voters has already been published on Sunday.

The nomination list will be published on January 9 while the final list of candidates will be published on January 12 after completing the process of protest and complaint against candidates and probe.

The candidates will be provided with election symbols on January 13. One polling station and two polling centers have been set up in each province for the election.

Voting will take place from 9 am to 3 pm on January 25. The term of one-third of the 59-member National Assembly is completed every two years. Women, Dalits, persons with disabilities or minorities and members from other communities will be elected from different provinces and regions in this election.

The ruling coalition has finalized the sharing of seats for the National Assembly election.

A meeting of the ruling coalition held in Baluwatar on Sunday finalized the seat-sharing for the election.

According to which, Nepali Congress will get 10, CPN (Maoist Center) six, CPN (Unified Socialist) two, and Janata Samajbadi Party will get one seat.

After the meeting, Nepali Congress Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak said that the sharing of seats has been finalized among the ruling coalition parties.

He said that the cluster has been finalized in many places and it will be finalized in some places soon.

With the agreement on seat distribution, the parties are preparing to finalize the name of the candidates by holding internal discussions.

According to a source, CPN (US) Chairman Nepal demanded three seats for his party.

But Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba had said that two seats can only be given to his party.

Though Congress leader Lekhak said that there was an agreement, the leaders of the CPN (US) are not happy with the seat distribution.

Filing of nominations for the election to the National Assembly will be held on Monday. The final list of voters is being published today.

The National Assembly election for 19 seats has been scheduled for January 25.

Twenty members of the National Assembly, the Upper House of the Federal Parliament, including Chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina are retiring on March 4, 2024.

The National Assembly has 59 members and the six-year term of one-third of them is ending on March 4. They belong to the group of members whose term was determined through a draw for the first time after the formation of the Assembly in 2074 BS.

Also called the Elders' House, the National Assembly plays an important role in enriching the bills and legislations, holding rich discussions and giving its feedback, suggestion and advice on the decisions of the House of Representatives, the Lower House of parliament. The Assembly which is alleged of becoming only the shadow of the Lower House has, however, sometimes sent messages to the HoR calling for review on some important bills.

Those members whose term is terminating on coming March 4 include Anita Devkota, Jitendra Narayan Dev, Prakash Pantha and Ramesh Jung Rayamajhi of the Nepali Congress, Indu Kadariya, Deepa Gurung, Dil Kumari Rawal, Kumar Dasaundi, Narapati Luwar, Bhairab Sundar Shrestha and Ram Chandra Rai of the CPN (UML) and Bina Pokharel, Mahesh Kumar Mahara and Hariram Chaudhary of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Pramila Kumari of the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), Nanda Chapain and Singa Bahadur Bishwakarma of the CPN (Unified Socialist), Dr Khim Lal Devkota (Independent) and Dr Bimala Paudyal who was nominated by the President.

Among them, Dasaundi and Dr Devkota had been elected from the by-election held on February 8, 2023 for the remaining term after the resignation of Ram Bahadur Thapa and Khimlal Bhattarai.  

The term of all the National Assembly members, whose tenure was determined for two, four and six years through lottery system for the first time after the formation of the Assembly in 2074 BS, is expiring on March 4, 2024. Among them, eight belong to the CPN-UML, four to Nepali Congress, three to Maoist Center, two to Unified Socialist and one to JSP while one each is an independent and nominated.

Meanwhile, the election to pick new members will be held in January.