Parliament session from today

KATHMANDU, July 18: Fresh sessions of both the houses of the Federal Parliament are all set to kick off from Sunday in line  with the  Supreme Court verdict. 

President Bidya Devi Bhandari, upon the recommendation of the government, on Friday, summoned the parliamentary session for 4.00 PM, Sunday. 

This is going to be the first meeting of the lower House --- House of Representatives (HoR) --- which got dissolved twice --- first on December 20, last year and then on May 22, this year. Both the dissolutions, recommended by the KP Sharma Oli-led government, were declared unconstitutional. 

Speaker of the HoR, Agni Prasad Sapkota stressed the inevitability of unity among the political parties given the far-reaching significance of the reinstated parliament from historical and multidimensional fronts. 

Newly appointed Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is likely to take a vote of confidence from this session. As per Article 76 (6), PM Deuba is required to go for a floor test within 30 days from the date of appointment. 

Deuba was appointed prime minister on July 13 as ordered by the Supreme Court on July 12. The apex court, issuing a mandamus order, asked the Office of President to appoint Deuba the prime minister as per Article 76 (5). 

In the 275-member lower House, the CPN-UML has 121 lawmakers, Nepali Congress 63, CPN (Maoist Centre) 49 and Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal 34. The Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, the Rastriya Janamorcha and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) each have a member each. Chhakka Bahadur Lama is the only independent lawmaker.

Thirty-seven important bills are under consideration at the House of Representatives while 19 such bills are pending at the National Assembly.