KATHMANDU: The Nepal Communist Party has decided to appoint the Party Vice Chairman Bam Dev Gautam to the National Assembly. The secretariat meeting of the main ruling party held on Thursday decided to appoint Gautam as a National Assembly member for a post that had been lying vacant since six months.
NCP spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha confirmed that the cabinet meeting will now nominate Gautam as a National Assembly member to President Bidya Devi Bhandari based on the party’s decision, after which the President will appoint upon the recommendation of the party’s nomination.
The decision has now ended the recent dispute between two chairmen on whom to appoint as the National Assembly member.
With the new decision, Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada’s tenure is certain to come to an end.
While NCP chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ was supporting Gautam’s bid to enter into the National Assembly, Prime Minister Oli was willing to reappoint Yuba Raj Khatiwada to pave the way for his continuity as the Finance Minister.
However, because the Finance Minister is not a parliamentarian, his six-month tenure without being a member of either the national assembly or House of Representatives will come to an end on Saturday.
He had been reappointed as Finance Minister after his two-year tenure as a member of the National Assembly expired based on a constitutional provision that allows the Prime Minister to appoint a non-parliamentarian as a minister for six months.
The ruling party was sharply divided over whom to appoint as the National Assembly member. However, it was not immediately clear whether Gautam will be inducted in the Oli-led cabinet.
