The Federal Parliament Secretariat has started preparations to make a calendar to pick Speaker, Deputy Speaker and National Assembly Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

CPN-UML leader Bhanubhakta Dhaka informed that political parties representing in Parliament had issued a directive to prepare the calendar prior to the first meeting of the Parliament.

“The calendar will be prepared by March 4,” Dhakal said, adding, “Leaders will discuss the matter again in a meeting on March 4. The calendar will be finalised during the meeting.”

According to Article 19 of the Constitution, elections for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the federal parliament should be held 15 days after meeting of the parliament.

As the election for the President has been slated for March 13, preparations are underway to hold the election for Speaker before the election of President.

The first meeting of the federal parliament has been scheduled for March 5.

The swearing in ceremony of federal parliament lawmakers and National Assembly members has been slated for March 5 at 4 pm and 5 pm respectively.

Senior-most members of the federal parliament and National Assembly would take the oath of office and secrecy from President Bidya Devi Bhandari on the same day. Senior-most members of the both the Upper and Lower Houses would administer the oath to the lawmakers of the respective House.

Rastriya Janata Party (RJP) lawmaker Mahendra Raya Yadav and Tara Devi Bhatta of the Nepali Congress would take the oath as the senior-most lawmaker of the federal parliament and National Assembly respectively. In the record of Election Commission, Yadav is 80 years old and Bhatta 69.