Kathmandu — Nepal’s Federal Parliament Secretariat has begun preparations to administer the oath of office to newly elected members of the House of Representatives, with March 26 set as the tentative date.
Parliament Secretary-General Padma Prasad Pandey said the oath-taking ceremony will be formally scheduled after the Election Commission submits its final report. The Commission has indicated it will present the report by March 19, after which the date will be finalized.
Senior-most Lawmaker to Administer Oath
In accordance with parliamentary procedure, the oath will be administered by the senior-most member of parliament. The Election Commission will recommend the name of the eldest lawmaker to the Office of the President and the Parliament Secretariat.
The designated senior lawmaker will first take the oath from the President and will then administer the oath to other members. In the newly elected parliament, Nepali Congress lawmaker Arjun Narsingh KC, 78, is the senior-most member.
Temporary Arrangement for Oath Ceremony
The ceremony will take place in a hall prepared inside the under-construction federal parliament building in Singha Durbar. Although the building is not yet complete, a section has been made ready for temporary use, Pandey said.
The previous parliament building at the International Convention Centre in New Baneshwor was destroyed during a protest movement, prompting the construction of a new facility.
Meeting Called with Political Parties
The Parliament Secretariat has called a meeting with representatives of major political parties to coordinate preparations for the oath ceremony. Representatives from the Rastriya Swatantra Party, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Communist Party of Nepal, Shram Sanskriti Party, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party have been invited.
The meeting will cover the oath-taking process, parliamentary decorum, and related administrative procedures. The House of Representatives election was held nationwide on March 5. The oath-taking ceremony will formally initiate the new parliamentary term.
