The ruling Nepal Communist Party has formed a three-member taskforce under the leadership of senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal for amending the constitution so as to give a National Assembly member the same status as a member of the House of Representatives.

Subash Nembang and Khimlal Devkota are the members of the taskforce.

“The party has formed a taskforce under the leadership of Madhav Nepal to amend the constitution allowing a National Assembly member to become prime minister,” a source at the Prime Minister’s secretariat told the Post. “The taskforce will conduct a study on increasing the existing strength of the National Assembly.”

The taskforce formation follows the party’s decision to appoint Bamdev Gautam as a National Assembly member.

Gautam, who lost the 2017 parliamentary election from Bardiya-1, has for long been demanding a concrete role in the party. Of late, he had shown interest to go to the National Assembly but with the condition that the constitution is amended to pave the way for a National Assembly member to become the prime minister. The existing constitutional provisions do not allow a National Assembly member to become the prime minister. For a leader to become the prime minister, they must be a member of the House of Representatives.

The party’s Central Committee meeting had recently elevated Gautam to the post of party vice-chair by amending the party statute. Gautam is set to replace Yubaraj Khatiwada, the current finance minister, whose two-year term will end on March 3.