KATHMANDU, April 18: Nepal’s political and governance structure has taken full shape following the election of chairpersons for all 12 parliamentary committees, marking a key institutional milestone after the recent Gen Z–influenced political transition.
The development comes amid broader political realignment described by analysts as a wave of change triggered by the new-generation “Gen Z movement,” which is said to have reshaped both governance expectations and state institutions. Since then, policy actions across sectors including education, health, infrastructure and employment have generated renewed public expectations.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has emerged as the dominant force in the federal legislature, securing leadership in 11 of the 12 parliamentary committees. The party also holds a near two-thirds majority with 182 seats in the House of Representatives (HoR), leading to the formation of a stable government under Prime Minister Balen Shah.
The government moved swiftly to complete its structure, forming a 15-member cabinet on the day of the oath-taking on March 27 and giving it a full shape through minor reshuffles by April 10. Its early agenda has focused on reform-oriented priorities, including 100 identified priority areas spanning education, health, energy, employment and infrastructure, alongside an 18-point national commitment integrating elements from various party manifestos.
The federal parliament has now elected chairs for 10 thematic committees of the HoR and two joint committees of both houses, effectively completing the parliamentary framework.
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In the HoR, RSP lawmakers were elected unopposed as chairs of eight committees. These include Hari Dhakal (State Affairs and Good Governance Committee), Samikshya Basnet (Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee), Rahabar Ansari (Industry, Commerce, Labour and Consumer Welfare Committee), Krishna Hari Budhathoki (Finance Committee), Ashok Chaudhary (Agriculture, Cooperatives and Natural Resources Committee), Sumnima Udas (International Relations and Tourism Committee), Aakriti Awasthi (Women and Social Affairs Committee) and Ashish Gajurel (Physical Infrastructure Development Committee).
In the Education, Health and Information Technology Committee, RSP lawmaker Ojashwi Sherchan was elected after defeating UML’s Guru Baral in a vote, despite support for Baral from Nepali Congress (NC) and Nepali Communist Party (NCP) lawmakers.
RSP lawmakers Bodhanarayan Shrestha and Ganesh Karki were also elected as chairpersons of the Parliamentary Hearing Committee and the Committee on the Implementation of Directive Principles and State Policies, respectively. The Public Accounts Committee was won unopposed by NC lawmaker Bharat Bahadur Khadka, with RSP not fielding a candidate.
Governance reforms initiated by the government—including reopening corruption cases, asset investigations of public officials, administrative reforms, broker-free service delivery, and efforts to reduce delays—have drawn public attention as part of a broader accountability drive.
Parliamentary committees, often described as “mini parliaments,” play a key role in detailed scrutiny of bills, stakeholder consultations, legislative amendments, and oversight of government policies and programmes.
The growing presence of young lawmakers in committee leadership is being viewed as a shift towards generational change in parliamentary practice. Commitments by chairpersons to act beyond party lines have also been seen as an indicator of institutional maturity.
With committees now fully functional, legislative scrutiny of complex policy areas such as education, health, economy, governance, environment and infrastructure is expected to deepen, strengthening evidence-based policymaking.
At the same time, active committees are expected to enhance oversight of government spending, project implementation and service delivery, improving transparency and accountability.
However, analysts caution that a strong majority government could weaken oversight if committees fail to function independently and robustly. Without institutional discipline and public scrutiny, there is a risk that committees may become symbolic rather than substantive.
The full formation of both executive and legislative structures is being seen as a critical moment for Nepal’s democratic system. Political analysts say the real test will lie not in institutional completion, but in performance, balance and accountability between the two arms of the state.
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