Krisha Bahadur Mahara has been elected Speaker of House of Representatives unanimously after the main opposition Nepali Congress too extended its support to the CPN (Maoist Centre) leader in Parliament on Saturday.

Mahara who was proposed by former speaker and CPN-UML leader Subas Nembang and seconded by Maoist Centre leader Dev Gurung was the lone candidate for the post. Mahantha Thakur, who is chairing the HoR as the eldest lawmaker, announced Mahara’s unanimous victory at the Parliament meeting. He replaces Thakur after taking the oath of office and secrecy from President Bidya Devi Bhandari amid a function held at 11am at Sheetal Niwas on Sunday.

In a power-sharing deal between the two left forces, the Maoist Centre was allocated the Speaker’s portfolio and the UML took the chair of the National Assembly. With the only candidate in the fray, Mahara’s victory was a foregone conclusion on Friday itself. 

Speaking briefly to reporters after the victory, Mahara said as the Speaker his major focus would be on implementation of the new constitution. He added that formulation of the essential laws required for full-fledged implementation of the statute will be among other priorities.

Records at the Ministry of Law and Justice shows still around 40 new Acts need to be in place, while 315 others need to be reviewed to make them fit as per the spirit of the constitution. The statute makes it mandatory to formulate 110 federal laws and amend 315 others within a year since the commencement of the first meeting of the federal parliament. Among them, those related to implementing fundamental rights of the citizenship have to be drafted within three years of the promulgation of the constitution.

“I am extremely thankful for all the parties for supporting my candidacy. I will play an impartial role in my tenure,” he said, promising “I will live up to the people’s aspiration as Parliament is a place of people’s faith”.

Mahara has enjoyed lucrative portfolios ever since the Maoists embraced the comprehensive peace process in 2006. Elected from Dang-2, he has held influential ministerial berths for five times, including deputy prime minister and ministries for Home, Foreign Affairs in the past.