Last Update: February 25, 2023, 14:59 IST
Senior leader of Nepali Congress Ram Chandra Poudel filed candidature for the post of President. (ANI photo)
According to Election Commission officials, nomination papers can be registered at the Election Commission’s office from 10 am to 3 pm.
Nepal on Saturday began the process of filing nomination papers for the March 9 presidential election, which could change the power equation in the country, as Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ sidelined his coalition partner. Gave and supported Nepali Congress leader Ramchandra Paudyal. top position.
can register nomination papers in Election According to Election Commission officials, the commission office from 10 am to 3 pm.
Poudyal, 78, is likely to succeed incumbent Bidya Devi Bhandari as the next president after eight political parties – Nepali Congress, CPN- Maoist Centre, CPN-Unified Socialist, Rastriya Janata Party, Lokatantrik Samajwadi Party, Rastriya Janamorcha, Nagarik Unmukti Party and Janamat Party – decided at a joint meeting to vote for him.
Maoist Center Chairman and Prime Minister ‘Prachanda’ has shocked CPN-UML President KP Sharma Oli by choosing a presidential candidate from outside the ruling coalition. The presidential election has put a serious question mark over the future of the ruling coalition of seven parties.
Prime Minister Prachanda proposed to support the Nepali Congress (NC) candidate for the new President during the meeting.
He had argued that the election of a candidate for the NC, which is the single largest party in Parliament, was important for building a national consensus in the country. Prachanda’s proposal was supported by all the parties participating in the meeting.
As per the rule, a candidate filing nomination for the post of President needs five members of Parliament to propose his name and five other members to support the candidature.
The total number of electors for the election of the President is 882, including 332 members of the Federal Parliament and 550 members of the Provincial Assemblies of the seven provinces.
The vote weightage of a federal MP is 79 while that of a provincial assembly member is 48.
Senior party leader Prakash Man Singh said the decision to formally nominate Paudil as the presidential candidate was taken at a meeting of the Nepali Congress’s Central Executive Committee held at the party’s central office on Saturday.
With the support of eight political parties, Paudyal’s victory in the election is almost certain.
On the other hand, Oli’s CPN-UML – the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) – which is a member of the ruling coalition, has decided to field former parliament speaker Subhash Nembang as its candidate for the top post. .
Prachanda had forged an alliance with the CPN-UML to form the government in November.
Prime Minister Prachanda’s party, which had contested the 20 November parliamentary and provincial elections as a partner of a five-party coalition led by the NC, left the coalition on 25 December after the NC asked Dahal to hold either of the two key posts. Refused to give position – president or prime minister.
The term of office of the President shall be five years from the date of election and a person can be elected to the office of the President only for two terms.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)