CPN Vice-chairman Bam Dev Gautam has been sworn in as National Assembly member on Thursday.
National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timalsina administered oath of office and secrecy to Gautam in the afternoon.
All the members of the nine-strong CPN secretariat (including Gautam) apart from Chairman and Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma and DPM Ishwore Pokharel were present during the swearing-in ceremony.
CPN Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and senior leaders Jhala Nath Khanal and Madhav Kumar Nepal—all three former PMs—reached out to congratulate Gautam after the ceremony.
"I have come to fulfill the duty as per the Constitution of Nepal, regulation about the National Assembly to boost dignity of the National Assembly," he stated after thanking the ruling party and president for appointing him following the ceremony. "I will not do any activity in a way to undermine the prestige of National Assembly while I remain member of this assembly."
He pledged to do his duty always remaining loyal to Nepal's freedom, national independence and sovereingty and the Nepali people while serving as National Assembly member.
Gautam had lost the last general election from Bardiya-1 to Sanjay Gautam of the main opposition Nepal Congress (NC).
President Bidhya Devi Bhandari appointed Gautam to the upper House earlier on Thursday on recommendation of the government.
The Cabinet meeting at Baluwatar Monday evening had recommended Gautam to the federal parliament.
The ruling party's secretariat meeting at Baluwatar on September 3 had decided to recommend Gautam to the vacant seat to be filled by the president on recommendation of the Cabinet.
The issue of taking Bam Dev Gautam to the federal parliament was roiling ruling CPN.
The party's secretariat on February 26 had decided to take Gautam to the National Assembly. Prime Minister (PM) and CPN Chairman KP Sharma Oli on May 2 then offered to take Vice-chairman Gautam to the House of Representatives (HoR) to bring Gautam to his faction from that of fellow Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal.
But Oli did not take Gautam to the HoR and Gautam, who in February had stated that he will go to the National Assembly only if the Constitution were amended allowing a National Assembly member to become PM, was insisting that he wants to go the National Assembly.
He wanted to be nominated by the president in the seat vacant after Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada's term ended on March 3 after two years following drawing of lottery. Khatiwada served as minister despite not being a federal lawmaker but resigned on September 4 as he could not continues for over six months without him being a lawmaker.
Oli wanted to again nominate Khatiwada to the National Assembly and continue him as finance minister. Oli had been insisting that Khatiwada should again be taken to the National Assembly and continued as finance minister arguing there are no other competent persons to handle the economy in the current difficult situation. He was pointing that only Khatiwada can face the challenges when revenue is falling, and other countries including China and India are not providing necessary assistance during the pandemic.
Oli tried to convince Gautam to not insist for getting to the National Assembly but to no avail.
