The Federal Parliament Secretariat on Monday recommended two names to the President’s Office for the positions of secretaries of the House of Representatives (HoR) and the National Assembly (NA).

HoR Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara recommended Gopal Nath Yogi while Chairman of the NA Ganesh Timilsina recommended Rajendra Phuyal for the positions.

The President’s Office has to approve their appointments. Former Speaker Onshari Gharti had recommended Yogi on August 29 last year. President Bidya Devi Bhandari did not endorse Yogi despite frequent requests from the Parliament Secretariat.

President Bhandari put on hold Yogi’s nomination as parliament secretary for more than two months, said sources at the parliament secretariat.

CPN (Maoist Centre) leaders then had accused the president of working at the behest of the CPN-UML by not endorsing Yogi.

Sources claimed President Bhandari did not pass the nomination following pressure from leaders of the main opposition CPN-UML. Some UML leaders had opposed the move of the speaker saying the appointment was unnecessary. As the two parties have shared names of one secretary each, it is likely the president may approve both. Observers consider Yogi close to the Maoist Centre and Phuyal, a journalist by profession, close to the UML.

The post of parliament secretary, under political appointment, remained vacant for more than a decade since former speaker Subash Nembang did not appoint anyone.

“If she (the President) halts recommendations of the speaker any longer it will result in confrontation between the two power centres,” said a leader of the ruling CPN (Maoist Centre), who did not want to reveal his identity.

President’s Office Deputy Spokesperson Keshav Ghimire confirmed receiving the recommendation from the Federal Parliament Secretariat, but he refrained from commenting when asked whether the president would endorse Yogi.

Article 106 of the Constitution of Nepal authorises the President to appoint the Secretary General and secretary in both the Houses of Federal Parliament on the recommendation of the Speaker of HoR and the Chairperson of the NA, respectively.