Govt decides to hold NA elections on Jan. 25

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Nov. 30: The government has decided to hold elections for the vacant posts of the National Assembly (NA) members on January 25, 2024.

Talking to journalists after the Cabinet meeting held in Singha Durbar on Wednesday, Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said that the meeting had decided to hold the NA elections based on the recommendation of the Election Commission Nepal.

The term of one-third of the lawmakers (20) of the NA along with chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina is expiring on March 4, 2024. 

Since the formation of the National Assembly in  2018, the tenures of all the MPs whose terms were determined for two, four and six years through the lucky draw system are expiring on March 4. 

Term of Anita Devkota, Jitendra Narayan Dev, Prakash Panth and Ramesh Jung Rayamajhi from the Nepali Congress, Indu Kadariya, Deepa Gurung, Dil Kumari Rawal, Kumar Dasaundi, Narpati Luwar, Bhairavsundar Shrestha and Ram Chandra Rai from the CPN (UML), and Bina Pokharel, Mahesh Kumar Mahara and Hari Ram Chaudhary from CPN-Maoist Centre is expiring on March 4.  

Similarly, terms of Pramila Kumari from the Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal (JSP-N), Nanda Chapai and Singh Bahadur Bishwakarma from the CPN (Unified Socialist), independent lawmaker Dr. Khimlal Devkota and nominated Dr. Bimala Paudyal Rai is also expiring. 

Minister Sharma said that the Cabinet meeting has decided to mobilise the security agencies for the construction of makeshift houses for the November 3 earthquake victims that hit Jajarkot and Rukum West.  

Minister Sharma, who is also the government spokesperson, said that under the leadership of the Chief District Officers of the affected districts, Nepali Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police will be deployed for the construction of temporary housing.

Minister Sharma said if there was a shortage of manpower in the district, it has been decided to deploy more manpower based on the demand of the Chief District Officers. 

The meeting has also decided to promote Sweta Dawadi to the post of Secretary of Nepal Engineering Service and appointed judge of the High Court Lekhnath Paudel as the chairman of the military special court.