Power Shift In NA

With one-third of the National Assembly members elected on Sunday, the Nepali Congress has become the largest party with 24 seats in the Upper House. This will create new balance in the federal parliament when it comes to passing the crucial bills. The NC, UML and the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) have bagged nine seats, eight seats and one seat respectively, thanks to their pre-election alliance.  The election was held to fill 19 seats that are becoming vacant on March 4. The President will nominate one member on the recommendation of the government while 18 were elected the other day. The Nepali Communist Party, which contested the election without allying with other parties, failed to win any seats. 

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party did not participate in the polls, citing that it would focus on the general elections slated for Mar 5. The Election Commission has said that it recorded 95.68 per cent voter turnout in the voting completed within the stipulated time of 9 am to 3 pm. Out of 2,011 registered voters across the seven provinces, 1,924 participated in the election. The term of National Assembly members is six years, and one-third of the members’ term ends every two years. The members of provincial assemblies and chiefs and office-bearers of local bodies vote for the NA members. In the 59-member NA, NCP is now the second largest party with 17 members, followed by the UML (10), Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal (2) and one each from LSP-N and Rastriya Janamorcha.

Now, old and new faces have been elected to the NA. Its new structure also reflects inclusion and youth spirit. Mahantha Thakur of LSP, Sunil Bahadur Thapa and Lalitjung Shahi of NC and Ram Kumari Jhankri had already served in the House of Representatives. Somnath Portel, who came from the Dalit Cluster, is poised to raise the agenda of the youth and the Dalit. The National Assembly is seen as the place for elderly leaders, but the entry of youths will give it a new dimension. Newly elected NA member Roshani Meche belongs to the Meche community, a marginalised social class. Dharmendra Pasawn, who has been elected from Madhes Province, has been raising voice against social discrimination, injustice and exclusion. Now, Portel, Meche and Pasawn have reached a position from which they can formulate laws to uplift their community. 

With the entry of new members, the composition of NA has also changed. Now the major parties – the NC, the UML and the NCP – have a significant role in endorsing the major legislation. Their contest and collaboration will determine the fate of vital bills. Before the Gen Z movement, the NC-UML alliance led the government. One of their agreements was to amend the constitution but they lacked a two-thirds majority in the NA. As a result, their amendment bid came a cropper. The newly elected members are expected to play their constructive role. The NA members need to rise above the partisan line in matters of national interest. This implies the relevance of NA in defining the national politics. As the NA polls were held peacefully, this will build an ambience for the upcoming election to the House of Representatives slated for March 5.