Thapa will remain a Cabinet member only for the next six months unless he obtains parliament membership 

KATHMANDU, April 18: Former Maoist leader Ram Bahadur Thapa has been re-sworn in as the Minister for Home Affairs (MoHA).

President Bidya Devi Bhandari reappointed Thapa as the country’s home minister at the recommendation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli as per Article (1) of the Constitution of Nepal 2015.

Thapa, a former Maoist leader, recently joined the ruling CPN-UML after the Supreme Court, through its March 7 order, invalidated the merger between UML and CPN (Maoist Center) into the Nepal Communist Party (NCP). CPN (Maoist Center) suspended Thapa’s  membership of the National Assembly (NA) on April 7. He lost his both positions as the member of upper house and the Oli-led Cabinet as upper house Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timalisina decided to relieve him as a parliamentarian after a letter of the Maoist party requested him for the same.

As per Article 78(2) of the Constitution, one who is not a member of the federal parliament is required to obtain membership of parliament within six months from the date of taking an oath to continue his/her stint as a Cabinet member. With this, Thapa can remain in the Oli-led Cabinet until October 18 unless the government collapses before that.

Thapa had been elected as the NA member through the 2018 elections from Bagmati Province representing the CPN (MC). 

 
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