Kathmandu, Nepal: Lawmakers of the Federal Parliament and National Assembly have been administered the oath of office and secrecy amid separate functions organized at the Parliamentary Building, New Baneshowr on Sunday.
The senior most member of the federal parliament Mahantha Thakur, who is also the chairman of the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN), administered to the 274 Members of the federal parliament out of 275 members.
Similarly, the senior member of the National Assembly Tara Devi Bhatta, who represents to the Nepali Congress, administered the oath to the 55 National Assembly members.
The three nominated members of the National Assembly, namely Ram Narayan Bidari, Bimala Paudel and Yubaraj Khatiwada did not attend the ceremony due to the interim order from the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court, the apex court of the country, had ordered the government and the concerned agencies not to administer oath them as they were recommended for the National Assembly members by the incumbent KP Oli led government overturning the recommendations of the previous government.
Though Khatiwada is appointed as the finance minister, the fate of three members of the National Assembly is hanged in the SC’s order. Interestingly, the hearing on the case was halted at the SC on Sunday.
A single bench of SC Justice Prakash Man Sing Raut, on February 25, had directed the government and the parliament to halt the scheduled swearing-in of the recently appointed three members of National Assembly even summoning the concerned authorities for further discussion on the case.
Likewise, federal parliament member elect Resham Chaudhary also did not attend the oath taking ceremony as he is currently in police custody on the charge of masterminding the Tikapur carnage, where seven police personnel including SSP and a two year toddler were killed.
President Bidya Devi Bhandari has summoned the first ever meeting of the Federal Parliament on March 5.
Constitutionally, member of the Federal Parliament and the National Assembly can be recognized officially only after they take oath of office and secrecy.
