Purna Bahadur Gharti has been unanimously elected the Speaker of Province 5.
Today's meeting of the State Assembly in the Province 5 consisting 12 districts took a decision to this effect in line with Article 182 (2) of the new constitution, said the SA's senior-most member Baldev Sharma Pokharel. Gharti's sole candidacy was proposed by the CPN (Maoist Center) chief whip Dadhiram Neupane and seconded by CPN-UML chief whip Bhumishwor Dhakal.
He was elected as SA member from Rukum East from the Maoist Center quota.
After his election as Speaker of the province, he said she would cooperate with SA members from all political parties while in office. The meeting also set February 19 as the date for elections of a Deputy Speaker of the Province.