Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara has clarified that the issue of Speaker and Deputy Speaker representing the same party cannot be discussed in Parliament because it is under consideration in the court.

Speaker’s response came after Nepali Congress lawmaker Laxmi Pariyar had drawn the attention of Parliament on Sunday, claiming that the House of Representatives remained indifferent to the violation of constitutional provision. Article 91 (2) of the constitution states that Speaker and Deputy Speaker should represent different parties.

NC lawmakers have been vehemently raising the issue at Parliament, demanding that the government abide by the constitutional provision at the earliest.

“The issue is sub-judice. I would like to inform the House that Article 105 of the constitution says such issues cannot be discussed as that would have adverse effect in such cases,” said Speaker Mahara.

In a writ petition filed more than a month ago, Advocate Achyut Kharel demanding the speaker and deputy speaker from separate parties as per the consttutional provision has been still undecided at the Supreme Court.

After Dr Govinda KC ended his indefinite hunger strike after a nine-point deal on the National Medical Education Bill with the government, the Nepali Congress has been raising the issue of Speaker and Deputy Speaker. Besides the House of Representatives of the federal parliament, speakers and deputy speakers in six out of seven provincial parliaments represent the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP).