Newly elected lawmakers Prem Ale and Maya Rai took an oath of office and secrecy on Tuesday.

Eldest parliamentarian Pashupati Shumsher Rana administered the oath to Ale of the CPN (Unified Socialist) and Rai of the Nepali Congress at the Parliament Secretariat in Singha Durbar.

They were absent from the oath-taking ceremony at the parliament building in New Baneshwar on December 22, citing personal reasons.

Earlier on December 23, two new lawmakers— Mahindra Raya Yadav and Ram Kumar Rai—took an oath of office and secrecy.

As per Article 88 of the constitution, every member of the parliament should take an oath as provided in law before taking part for the first time in the meeting of the parliament and its committees.

Likewise, Section 75 of the House of Representatives Election Act, 2017 also requires newly elected lawmakers to take an oath of office and secrecy.

As many as 12 political parties and five independent candidates have been elected to the House of Representatives. Of them, three parties—Rastriya Swatantra Party, Janamat Party and Nagarik Unmukti Party—made it to the parliament in their first attempt.

The first meeting of the new parliament is scheduled for January 9.