Kathmandu, Dec. 14 -- As many as 56 bills, some crucial and some controversial, will heat up the winter session of federal parliament when it commences next week.

Once a new Speaker is elected, the House of Representatives will begin deliberations on the bills, including those from the backlog, which will mean a busy winter session, also called the bill session.

Officials at the Parliament Secretariat say that the first meeting of the session will start the process to elect a new Speaker, a post that's been vacant since Krishna Bahadur Mahara resigned in early October following allegations of attempted rape. If Deputy Speaker Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe also resigns, the House will have to elect her replacement as well.

Roj Nath Pandey, sp...