Ram Chandra Paudel is the new President of Nepal

Kathmandu:

Ram Chandra Paudel has been elected as the new President of Nepal. According to the Election Commission of Nepal, he secured 33 thousand 8 hundred 2 electoral votes, while his opponent Subhash Chandra Nembwang secured 15 thousand 5 hundred 18 electoral votes.

In addition, according to the Election Commission of Nepal, 313 members of the federal parliament participated in the voting, while 518 members of the province assemblies also participated in the electoral process to choose the next president.

The voting took place at the Parliament House of Nepal in New Baneshwar, Kathmandu. The Election Commission in the Himalayan nation had set up two separate polling stations in the hall for federal MPs and provincial assembly members.

The election official’s office confirmed that the results of the presidential election would be announced at 7 p.m. (NST).

The MLAs of all the provinces have reached Kathmandu for the elections. A total of 884 members make up the electoral college, including 275 members of the House of Representatives, 59 members of the National Assembly and 550 members of the seven provincial assemblies.

Thus in the case of no vacancies in the Federal Parliament and the Provincial Assemblies, the Electoral College will have a total weight of 52,786 votes. A candidate must receive a majority of votes to secure the top position. The weight of one vote of a legislator of the federal parliament is 79 and that of a member of the provincial assembly is 48.

In the presidential election, senior Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel has the support of eight parties, while CPN-UML’s lone candidate Subhash Chandra Nembang is expected to be supported by independent MPs.

The Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) did not endorse or propose any candidate for President. Both Mr. Paudel and Mr. Nembang later met RPP President Rajendra Lingden and other office bearers at the RPP office and sought their votes in the election. However, the RPP had decided to abstain from voting on the eve of the presidential election.

At a five-hour-long meeting on Wednesday, most members of the Central Working Committee said the party should not participate in the presidential election as it stuck to its core agenda, which favors the restoration of the monarchy.

RPP spokesperson Mohan Shrestha confirmed that the Central Working Committee has decided to remain neutral in the presidential election.

“It has been unanimously decided not to participate in the presidential election and remain neutral,” Mr Shrestha said.

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