The winter session of the parliament began today with Speaker Subas Nembang reading out a letter received from the President’s Office on the beginning of the session.

Speaker Nembang urged lawmakers not to stay neutral in any subject in the House. Similarly, Nembang urged lawmakers to approve their leave with justifiable reasons now onwards as only 200 lawmakers were present in today’s House meeting.

The session decided to hold the seventeenth round of prime ministerial election on 12 January. The prime ministerial election began on 21 July.

Talking to the media after the session, UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal said that discussions were underway among the parties on the issue of formation of a new government that will facilitate the constitution making and the peace process. “I am hopeful the prime ministerial candidate from the Nepali Congress Ram Chandra Poudel will withdraw his candidacy to pave the way for initiating a new process for the formation new government ”, said Khanal adding that if Poudel won’t pull out his candidacy, the CPN-UML will vote against him.

On the other hand, Poudel however said his candidacy for the election of the new prime minister was for durable peace and pro-people constitution in the country. He expressed the hope of being elected the new prime minister through the polls slated for January 12.

Nembang informed the house that the 103rd meeting of the Constituent Assembly (CA) will take place on January 11.