KATHMANDU, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Dev Raj Ghimire, a lawmaker from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), was elected the speaker of the House of Representatives on Thursday.
Ghimire won 167 votes in the house where 268 lawmakers were present for the voting, surpassing the 138 votes needed in the 275-strong chamber.
"Lawmaker Dev Raj Ghimire has been elected as the speaker of the House of Representatives receiving 167 votes," announced Pashupati Shumsher Rana, who was chairing the session as the most senior lawmaker.
Nepal's constitution makes it mandatory to elect the speaker and the deputy speaker within 15 days after the lower house convenes its first meeting.
The first meeting was called for Jan. 9, nearly two months after the general elections were held on Nov. 20.
The election for the deputy speaker is scheduled for Saturday. ■