Bagmati Provincial Assembly Members Demand Immediate Appointment of Speaker

Hetauda. In the Bagmati Provincial Assembly meeting held on Thursday, lawmakers demanded that the appointment process for the long-vacant Speaker position be initiated immediately. They argued that leaving the post vacant for seven months violates constitutional provisions and urged for the election process to begin without delay.

Lawmakers emphasized that the Speaker selection process must be completed by Baisakh 8. They remarked that the absence of a Speaker has left the Provincial Assembly without leadership, raising questions about the implementation of federalism.

Former Speaker Bhuwan Kumar Pathak announced his resignation during a protest last Bhadau and submitted his formal resignation letter to the Provincial Assembly Secretariat via email on Asoj 1. Following this, the government prorogued the session on Mangsir 3 as the assembly could not convene. Subsequently, on Mangsir 4, Deputy Speaker Apsara Chapagain issued a notice publicly informing about Pathak's resignation.

The formal announcement regarding the Speaker's resignation was made during the Provincial Assembly meeting on Chaitra 24. According to constitutional provisions, the process for selecting a new Speaker must begin within 15 days of the formal announcement of the resignation in the assembly. Consequently, there is a mandatory requirement to advance the selection process by Baisakh 9. Against this backdrop, lawmakers raised the issue of the Speaker's appointment in the meeting.

Lawmaker Ratna Prasad Dhakal demanded an explanation from the government regarding the delay in the appointment process. He alleged that an agreement reached during an all-party discussion in the presence of the Chief Minister had been violated.

'Article 182 of the Constitution mandates that the Speaker and Deputy Speaker must be elected within 15 days of the first meeting of the Provincial Assembly, but keeping the post vacant for seven months is completely unconstitutional,' he stated. 'Is this process stalled because the ruling parties cannot agree on power-sharing? If so, it sends a negative message to the people of the province. The election process for the Speaker should be concluded by Baisakh 8.'

Another lawmaker, Ramkumar Pahadi, termed the prolonged vacancy of the Speaker's post an unconstitutional act. 'It has been seven months, and we have not been able to elect a Speaker. What message does this send? Can we not elect a Speaker ourselves?' he questioned, adding, 'I demand that the election date be set as soon as possible.'

Lawmaker Bhuwan Keshari Shrestha stated that the failure to conclude the appointment process long after the Speaker's resignation is a weakness of the political parties. She expressed that the delay in selecting a Speaker is due to internal power-sharing disputes among the ruling parties.