Bidya Devi Bhandari re-elected President of Nepal

Kathmandu / Mar 13: Bidya Devi Bhandari has been re-elected as the President of Nepal with 39, 275 votes in an election held at Federal Parliament buildingt in New Baneshwar on Tuesday.

Her one and only closest rival from Nepali Congress Kumari Laxmi Rai got 11, 730 votes.

Of the total 880 eligible voters, 862 (97.95 pc) cast their votes in the election.

Bhandari will officially take charge as the President for the second term once she takes oath of office and secrecy from Chief Justice. Swearing-in ceremony for the President is scheduled for tomorrow.

A total of 18 members of the federal and provincial parliaments were absent from today’s election of President, according to the Election Commission. Of the total absentees, five represent the Federal Parliament, and 13 the Provincial Assemblies.

The absentees representing the Federal Parliament include Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Jitendra Narayan Dev, Prem Suwal, Ramesh Yadav and Resham Lal Chaudhary.

Other absentees representing the Provincial Assemblies are Krishna Bahadur Chaudhary, Dhana Maya Lama Pokharel, Prahlad Giri, Prem Tamang, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, Manish Kumar Suman, Ramesh Poudel, Din Panta, Shova Shakya, Surendra Gosain, Hari Sharan Acharya, Him Bahadur Shahi and Sirjana Sainju.

Likewise, newly appointed National Assembly members Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada, Ram Narayan Bidari and Bimala Rai Poudel could not take part in the election due to various reason, while Resham Lal Chaudhary, who is kept in police custody for his alleged involvement in Tikapur incident that left at least eight persons including police personnel dead, and many others injured, was also deprived of casting his vote.

The presidential election started at 10 am and concluded at 3 pm. Meanwhile, the vote counting started at 4 pm today itself.

Earlier on March 8, UML senior leader Madhav Nepal, party Vice President Bhim Rawal, Ishwar Pokhrel, Subas Nembang and Maoist Center leader Onsari Gharti proposed Bhandari as candidate for president while Ram Bahadur Thapa of the Maoists and Bishnu Paudel, Gokarna Bista, Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal and Rabindra Adhikari of UML seconded the proposal, at the presidential election office set up at the parliament building.

A candidate had to secure 50 percent of the vote weightage (26,250) out of the total weightage of 52,501 from the 880 voters in the electoral college, to be elected head of state.

The left alliance has a total vote weightage of 33,675 with its 564 members of parliament and provincial assemblies. UML and Maoist Center have 213 members of parliament and 351 provincial assembly members.

Similarly, NC has a vote weightage of 11, 428 with its 76 members of parliament and 113 provincial assembly members. The various other parties are undecided how they will vote for the presidential candidates.

The 331 members of the bicameral parliament [three others have yet to take the oath] and 549 members [one is yet to take oath] of the unicameral provincial assemblies of all seven provinces were eligible to vote for the presidential candidates.

The votes of the members of parliament (House of Representatives and National Assembly) have a weightage of 79 each while that of the 549 members of the seven provincial assemblies have a weightage of 48 each. The vote of a member of parliament is multiplied by its weightage number of 79, and that of a provincial assembly member by its weightage number of 48.