The Office of the President has clarified that the government’s recommendation to appoint Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal to the National Assembly is currently under consideration.

Kiran Pokharel, press adviser to President Ramchandra Paudel, said the recommendation is being reviewed in line with constitutional provisions, the ongoing process of government formation, and a writ petition under consideration at the court.

“The recommendation regarding Aryal is under consideration in accordance with constitutional provisions and prevailing circumstances, including the pending court case,” Pokharel said.

The clarification comes amid media reports claiming that President Paudel had delayed Aryal’s appointment after the name of his daughter, Abagya Paudel, was not recommended. Pokharel dismissed such claims as “false and baseless”.

“I do not believe the prime minister would make such untrue statements. The claim that the President sought to leave the name blank to include his daughter later is entirely false,” Pokharel said.

Reports had also quoted a senior advocate as saying that Prime Minister Sushila Karki told constitutional experts during a meeting at Baluwatar on Saturday that the President had suggested sending the recommendation without a name. However, the President’s Office has rejected the claim.

Pokharel reiterated that the recommendation remains under review solely due to constitutional procedures and prevailing legal and political conditions.

A Cabinet meeting on March 15 had recommended Aryal’s name for the vacant seat in the upper house.

The seat—one of the three reserved for presidential nomination on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers in the 59-member National Assembly—has remained vacant following the recent expiry of Bamdev Gautam’s six-year term.