By Our Reporter Inability of the ruling Nepal Communist Party to select its candidate for the post of Speaker, parliament has become hostage. When the two chairmen of the NCP failed to pick Speaker, probably due to meddling of the President in the issue, the House session has been put off till January 12. Three months have already passed since the resignation of the last speaker, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, following a charge of attempted rape of an employee at the parliament secretariat. Although the winter session, which began on December 20, was expected to initiate the election of the speaker of the lower house without further ado, the meeting of the lower house was postponed until January 12 after the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) failed to finalise its candidate for the post of speaker. Given the absolute majority of the NCP in parliament no other political party is in a position to elect someone as speaker. At least 39 bills are pending in parliament while five other bills that have been endorsed from both houses have not come into effect as they are yet to be certified by the speaker. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant compact with the US is also awaiting its endorsement.