Nepal’s President-elect Ram Chandra Paudel on Thursday said that he has experience in governance and the functioning of state mechanisms which makes him suitable for the new post.
In a conversation with ANI, Nepal’s President-elect, who was also former house speaker during the monarchy, said he has gained experience in governance and the functioning of state mechanisms.
“I have earlier also undertaken various governmental roles. I also have been to the royal palaces during monarchy, became the house speaker, used to visit the palace once a week. That’s why, the role that I will undertake won’t be new for me. I also have been in meeting with former Presidents as well and also know the functionalities there. I am not new to the role and duties,” Paudel said after casting his vote earlier on Thursday.
Apart from being a former House Speaker, Paudel has spent over a decade in jail. He has, till now, become a lawmaker six times and minister five times. A senior leader of the Nepali Congress, Paudel had lost the intra-party election but now he has been elected the third president of the country. Paudel had the backing of 10 parties on Thursday’s election.
Madhav Kumar, Former Nepal’s Prime Minister and chairman of CPN-Unified Socialist said, “I’ve taken the results as very encouraging and positive. Everything was on track as per the agreement that was made between the parties in the present alliance. Madhav Kumar made the remarks after the election results were announced.
As a result of the 10 party alliance forged after the break-off of CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist), Paudel, the candidate from ruling alliance secured 33,802 electoral votes. Paudel’s contender, Subash Chandra Nembwang garnered 15,518 votes.
The Electoral College comprising the members of the House of Representatives, National Assembly and seven provincial assemblies voted to elect the head of state. The vote weightage of a member of the federal parliament comprising the House of Representatives and the National Assembly is 79 while it is 48 for the provincial assembly members. Of the 881 federal and provincial lawmakers eligible to vote, as many as 831 votes were cast in the presidential election held on Thursday.
Mahesh Sharma Poudyal, Election Officer for Nepal Presidential Election, said, “Hailing from Khas-Arya (ethnic) group, Ram Chandra Paudel (Male) has secured 33,802 electoral votes has fulfilled the criteria mentioned in President and Vice-President Election procedure has secured the majority of votes. He, therefore, is pronounced as the President-elect.
According to the officer, 313 federal lawmakers and 518 provincial assembly members cast their votes. A total of 14 federal Rastriya Prajatantra Party lawmakers and Prem Suwal of the Nepal Majdoor Kishaan Party did not take part in the voting.
CPN (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Barshaman Pun and Nepali Congress lawmaker Chandra Bhandari could not vote as they are in China and India, respectively, for their treatment.
Meanwhile, UML’s Laxmi Koiri, who is on the run, was also absent. A total of 28 provincial assembly members of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and three provincial assembly members of the Nepal Majdoor Kishan Party also abstained from voting. The tenure of the outgoing president Bidya Devi Bhandari ends on March 12. (ANI)
