Nepal parliamentarians sworn-in following historic provincial, parliamentary elections in 2017

Kathmandu: Newly-elected members of Nepal’s Parliament were sworn-in in Kathmandu on Sunday, following historic provincial and parliamentary polls in 2017 in the Himalayan nation. Senior-most member of the House of Representatives Mahantha Thakur administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new members of the House of Representatives. Earlier on Sunday, President Bidya Devi Bhandari administered the oath of office and secrecy to Thakur. There are 275 members in the House of Representatives including 165 members elected under the first-past-the-post category or direct election and 110 under proportional representation basis. The CPN-UML has 121 members, NC has 63, and CPN-MC has 53 while Federal Socialist Forum Nepal has 17 and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal has 16 members. Likewise, the Naya Shakti Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Janamorcha and Nepal Majdoor Kissan Party has one member each and one HoR member is an independent member. Bhandari, on the recommendation of the government, has summoned the first meeting of federal Parliament. It will be the first joint meeting of both the House of Representatives and the National Assembly (NA). [caption id=“attachment_4352069” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Nepal prime minister KP Sharma Oli. AFP[/caption] The members took their oath of office and secrecy in their respective mother tongues including Bhojpuri, Maithali, Awadhi, Tamang, Tharu, Magar and Hindi. Similarly, 55 members elected to the National Assembly, the upper house of Nepal’s bicameral federal parliament, also took oath of office and secrecy. Senior-most NA member Tara Devi Bhatta administered the oath of office and secrecy to them. In the 59-member NA, there is representation of eight members including (at least) three women, one Dalit and one person with disability or minority group from each seven provinces. The CPN-UML has 27 members, the Nepali Congress has 13 and the CPN-Maoist Centre has 12 members in the Upper House. Two members each from Rastriya Janata Party and Federal Socialist Forum also took oath of office. However, the swearing-in ceremony of three National Assembly members, nominated by the president, was not held on Sunday, as the Supreme Court had earlier issued an order staying their oath of office. This is for the first time that the National Assembly was formed under the new Constitution.