After a long political row in over two months of delay, President Bidya Devi Bhandari has approved the ordinance on National Assembly election forwarded by the cabinet. Bhandari today approved the ordinance which had been tabled in the President’s Office, according to the President’s Chief Secretary Bhesh Raj Adhikari.

President Bhandari had held consultations with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba prior to authenticating the ordinance. PM Deuba, who was engaged in Nepali Congress’ central work execution committee’s meeting at Baluwatar, had put the meeting on hold to conduct consultations with the President.

Nepali Congress leaders blamed President for taking the side of CPN-UML playing delay-dallying on the issues. Even constitutional lawyers questioned the intention of president on the ordinance.

The ordinance had been delayed due to the differing positions of the ruling Nepali Congress and main opposition CPN-UML over the modality of electing the upper house.

With this authentication, the Upper House formation process will now be eased, also paving way for formation of House of Representatives and the new government.