Kathmandu, April 9
President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Friday appointed Narayan Dahal, a resident of Chitwan, a member of the National Assembly, the upper house of the bicameral federal parliament.
One position in the 59-member house was vacant since the retirement of incumbent Ram Narayan Bidari in March.
Bidari was one among 20 lawmakers of the upper house whose term had expired on March 4. Whereas 19 were elected to fill the vacancies, one had to be appointed by the president upon recommendation of the government, as per the constitution.
Narayan Dahal is the younger brother of Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the chairman of the CPN-Maoist Centre, a key member of the ruling coalition.
With parties misusing the National Assembly, which should have been an experts’ house, to give jobs to the people close to them, stakeholders of late have questioned the relevance of the upper house.
