Dec 28, Kathmandu - Deputy Speaker Indira Rana has resigned from her position before completing her term in the House of Representatives.

The tenure of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker remains in effect until the day before the candidacy nominations for the upcoming direct elections. However, Rana voluntarily stepped down today, deviating from this practice.

The Election Commission has scheduled the submission of proportional representation closed lists for the House of Representatives elections, set for Falgun 21, with today and Monday designated as the deadline for submission. Based on previous practices, the Federal Parliament Secretariat confirmed that the terms of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker remain valid until the day before the direct election candidacies are filed.

Speaker Devraj Ghimire has announced that preparations are underway for the departure of the current Speaker, Devoraj Ghimire, starting from Magh 5, the day before the direct candidacy nominations.

According to Ekram Giri, spokesperson for the Federal Parliament Secretariat, former Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota had also resigned on the day before filing his candidacy for the direct election during the last electoral cycle. Following this precedent, the current Speaker is expected to continue serving until the day before the filing of direct election candidacies.

As per Article 91 of the Constitution of Nepal and Subsection 6 (a) of the same, in the event of the dissolution of the House of Representatives, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker remain in their positions until the day prior to filing candidacies for the next election.