Nepal has recently seen political instability due to its fragile coalition government, which is headed by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’. Amidst this turmoil, Ram Chandra Poudel from the Nepali Congress party was elected as the President of Nepal on Thursday. Mr. Poudel was the common candidate of an eight-party alliance that included the Nepali Congress and the Prime Minister ‘Prachanda’-led CPN (Maoist Centre). He received the vote of 214 lawmakers of Parliament and 352 provincial Assembly members.
The victory of 78-year-old Mr. Poudel was certain as he had the support of eight political parties. His rival, Subas Chandra Nebmang, was supported by former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma-led CPN-UML. This is Nepal’s third presidential election since becoming a republic in 2008, and the tenure of the current President, Bidya Devi Bhandari, will end on March 12.
The term of office for the President is five years from the date of election, and an individual can be elected for the post for only two terms. Although the President’s role is largely ceremonial, Nepal’s political parties have lately shown a growing interest in the post owing to the discretionary powers the Constitution accords to it.
It is interesting to note that Election Commission spokesperson Shaligram announced that 518 provincial Assembly members and 313 Members of Parliament cast their votes in the presidential election. This shows a significant interest and participation from the country’s elected representatives.
In conclusion, the election of Mr. Poudel as the President of Nepal is a significant development in the country’s political landscape, especially considering the increasing instability in the government. It remains to be seen how Mr. Poudel will exercise his discretionary powers, and whether his election will have a positive impact on Nepal’s political stability.