ID :
13019
Sat, 07/19/2008 - 10:23
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/13019
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Nepal to choose first president
Shirish B Pradhan
Kathmandu, July 19 (PTI) Lawmakers in Nepal's newly
elected Constituent Assembly (C.A.) will vote today to
choose the first president of the republic, a key step in
formation of a government as the constitutional head will
swear in the new prime minister.
The campaign for the election of both president and vice
president ended this evening as some candidates went
door-to-door to seek support from the MPs.
It is almost certain that the president will be a person
of Indian origin as all three mainstream parties have fielded
Madhesi candidates from the southern Terai region bordering
India for the coveted post.
Five hundred ninety four C.A. members are eligible to
vote in the election for the president and vice president.
Maoists' candidate Ramraja Prasad Singh, 74, of Nava
Janawadi Morcha, is likely to win the election as he is also
backed by three Madhesi parties.
Singh, who did his Master's degree (Law) from Delhi
University, was arrested in 1985 for throwing a small bomb at
parliament as part of an anti-royal protest.
Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal
(United Marxist-Leninist), the second and third largest
parties, have fielded Ram Baran Yadav and Ram Prit Paswan
respectively for the president's post.
The Maoists have 226 seats in the Constituent Assembly
and with the support of Madhesi parties, which have 86
parliamentarians, Singh is likely to get at least 314 votes
against the magic number of 298 required to win the election
in the Constituent Assembly.
There are four vice presidential candidates on the fray
representing three major parties and the Madhesi People's
Rights Forum.
Man Bahadur Bishwokarma is the Vice Presidential
candidate of Nepali Congress while Ashta Laxmi Shakya, the
only woman candidate, belongs to C.P.N.-U.M.L. The Madhesi
People's Rights Forum fielded Paramananda Jha while Shanta
Shrestha is the candidate of the C.P.N.-Maoist.
Nepali Congress and C.P.N.-U.M.L. leaders today held
meetings for possible alliance to elect the vice president of
their choice as Singh's victory for the post of president is
almost certain.
Both Nepali Congress and C.P.N.-U.M.L., who have failed
to reach a pact with the Maoists, are working for possible
alliance to implement their future political strategies.
C.P.N.-U.M.L. has announced that it would not join the
Maoist government and would not make any alliance with the
Maoists as the the former rebels have broken a pact with them
by proposing Singh as their candidate for president's post.
Nepali Congress has also announced to sit in the
opposition bench ruling out possibility of joining the Maoist
led government.
Maoists, who ended their decade-long armed struggle for
abolition of monarchy in 2006 and joined political mainstream,
emerged as the single largest party after the April 10
elections and are demanding the leadership of the new
government. PTI
Kathmandu, July 19 (PTI) Lawmakers in Nepal's newly
elected Constituent Assembly (C.A.) will vote today to
choose the first president of the republic, a key step in
formation of a government as the constitutional head will
swear in the new prime minister.
The campaign for the election of both president and vice
president ended this evening as some candidates went
door-to-door to seek support from the MPs.
It is almost certain that the president will be a person
of Indian origin as all three mainstream parties have fielded
Madhesi candidates from the southern Terai region bordering
India for the coveted post.
Five hundred ninety four C.A. members are eligible to
vote in the election for the president and vice president.
Maoists' candidate Ramraja Prasad Singh, 74, of Nava
Janawadi Morcha, is likely to win the election as he is also
backed by three Madhesi parties.
Singh, who did his Master's degree (Law) from Delhi
University, was arrested in 1985 for throwing a small bomb at
parliament as part of an anti-royal protest.
Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal
(United Marxist-Leninist), the second and third largest
parties, have fielded Ram Baran Yadav and Ram Prit Paswan
respectively for the president's post.
The Maoists have 226 seats in the Constituent Assembly
and with the support of Madhesi parties, which have 86
parliamentarians, Singh is likely to get at least 314 votes
against the magic number of 298 required to win the election
in the Constituent Assembly.
There are four vice presidential candidates on the fray
representing three major parties and the Madhesi People's
Rights Forum.
Man Bahadur Bishwokarma is the Vice Presidential
candidate of Nepali Congress while Ashta Laxmi Shakya, the
only woman candidate, belongs to C.P.N.-U.M.L. The Madhesi
People's Rights Forum fielded Paramananda Jha while Shanta
Shrestha is the candidate of the C.P.N.-Maoist.
Nepali Congress and C.P.N.-U.M.L. leaders today held
meetings for possible alliance to elect the vice president of
their choice as Singh's victory for the post of president is
almost certain.
Both Nepali Congress and C.P.N.-U.M.L., who have failed
to reach a pact with the Maoists, are working for possible
alliance to implement their future political strategies.
C.P.N.-U.M.L. has announced that it would not join the
Maoist government and would not make any alliance with the
Maoists as the the former rebels have broken a pact with them
by proposing Singh as their candidate for president's post.
Nepali Congress has also announced to sit in the
opposition bench ruling out possibility of joining the Maoist
led government.
Maoists, who ended their decade-long armed struggle for
abolition of monarchy in 2006 and joined political mainstream,
emerged as the single largest party after the April 10
elections and are demanding the leadership of the new
government. PTI
