January 19: CPN-UML leader Devraj Ghimire has been elected as the Speaker of House of Representatives (HoR). 

Ghimire, common candidate of the ruling coalition, was elected as the HoR Speaker on Thursday.
Ghimire garnered 167 votes, while his rival Nepali Congress’ Ishwori Devi Neupane received 100 votes. 

Lawmakers of the CPN-UML, CPN-Maoist Center, Rastriya Swotantra Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Janata Samajwadi Party, Janamat Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, and independent lawmakers Amresh Kumar Singh, Prabhu Sah and Yogendra Mandal had cast votes for Ghimire. 

Lawmakers from Nepali Congress, CPN-Unified Socialist, Loktantrik Samajwadi and Rastriya Janamorcha had supported NC’s Neupane for the post of Speaker. 

Out of the total 275 lawmakers, as many as 268 had participated in the voting process. One lawmaker had stayed neutral in the voting. 
Ghimire is the fifth Speaker of the House of Representatives after the establishment of republicanism in the country. 

Ghimire was elected as a Member of the HoR from Jhapa Constituency-2 in the election held on November 20 last year.

Ghimire had registered his candidacy for the Speaker on behalf of the ruling coalition on Wednesday afternoon.