Kathmandu: Nepali Congress candidate Ram Chandra Paudel has been declared as the new President of the country in the presidential election of Nepal. Along with this, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s alliance with Nepali Congress has got a big victory. Ramchandra Paudel got more than 33 thousand votes. On the other hand, former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s candidate Subhash Chandra Nembang had to be content with just 15,000 votes. Ramchandra Paudel has become the third President of the country. The result of the presidential election has come as a big relief to the government headed by Prime Minister ‘Prachanda’ who was embroiled in a political tussle with Oli.
Ramchandra Paudel of the Nepali Congress and Subhash Chandra Nembang of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) were in the race for the post. Voting began today at 10 am local time at Parliament House, New Baneshwar. Paudel had expressed confidence that the MPs/MLAs would elect him for the presidency. He said, ‘I am quite sure that the members of the Federal Parliament and the Provincial Assemblies will vote for me. I believe they will take the right decision regarding my long struggle. The tenure of the current President Vidya Devi Bhandari will end on March 12.
Two former Speakers of the House of Representatives – Poudel and Nembang – were face to face for the presidential election. Paudel was the candidate supported by the eight-party coalition led by Prime Minister Prachanda, while Nembang is affiliated with Oli’s CPN-UML. Paudel (78) and Nembang (69) had filled the prescriptions last month. Following the political controversy over his support to Paudel in the presidential election, former Prime Minister K.P. The CPN-UML led by Sharma had withdrawn its support to the current government.
CPN-UML is the second largest party in Nepal. With the support of eight political parties, Paudel’s victory in the presidential election was considered almost certain. The term of office of the President shall be five years from the date of election and a person can be elected to this office only for two terms. Although the office of the President is largely ceremonial, interest in the position has increased in recent times among political parties in Nepal due to the discretionary powers conferred by the constitution.
