CA Elects Dr. Rambaran Yadav as Nepal's First President - 21 July, 2008

Nepali Congress (NC) candidate Dr Ram Baran Yadav has become the first president of republic Nepal, securing a comfortable majority in the presidential run-off held today.

Yadav bagged 308 votes while his rival Ram Raja Prasad Singh, who was backed by the Maoists, ended up with 282 votes, sources at the election office of the Constituent Assembly Secretariat said.

Yadav was backed by CPN (UML), Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, CPN (ML), Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, CPN (United), Rastriya Janamorcha, Rastriya Janashakti Party and a few other fringe parties.

Altogether 590 votes were cast in today's run-off poll.

Parmananda Jha elected as Nepal's First Vice President - 19 July, 2008

The meeting of the Constituent Assembly (CA) held Saturday night officially declared that Paramananda Jha has become Nepal's first vice president, winning the election held today. He was a Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) candidate.

CA chairman Kul Bahadur Gurung announced that Jha has been elected vice president bagging 305 votes, beating his nearest rival Shanta Shrestha of CPN (Maoist) who garnered 243 votes.

However, two presidential frontrunners – Dr Ram Baran Yadav of Nepali Congress and Maoist-backed candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh – failed to gain 298 votes needed to be elected to the post.

Gurung announced that Dr Yadav bagged 283 votes while Singh ended up with 270 votes. Twenty-four votes were invalid.

With no presidential candidate mustering majority votes, there will be re-election for the president. Gurung said the re-election will be held on Monday (July 21).

578 out of 594 CA members registered in the voter list had cast their votes.

Five fringe parties including Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Nepal), Rastriya Janamorcha and CPN (Unified) boycotted the voting.

Nepal turns to a Federal Democratic Republic - 28 May, 2008

The historic first meeting of the Constituent Assembly (CA) has endorsed a proposal to amend the interim constitution implementing the declaration of Nepal as a federal democratic republic.

The officiating chairman of the CA, Kul Bahadur Gurung said that of the 564 CA members who took part in the voting on the proposal, 560 voted in its favour while four members voted against it.

The motion for implementing the republic declaration was introduced by the government.

Home Minister Krishna Sitaula introduced the proposal as per the Article 159 of the Interim Constitution, which was put for voting.

Following the voting result, the CA also approved a proposal stating that the King should vacate the Narayanhity royal palace within 15 days.

The proposal states that the King will lose all perks and privileges except his rights as a common citizen. The Narayanhity royal palace will be turned into a national museum or used in national interest as deemed necessary by the government, the proposal adds.

The CA meeting had started after 9 pm on Wednesday night at Birendra International Convention Center (BICC).

Earlier in the day, the major parties including Nepali Congress (NC), Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) and the Maoists had agreed to introduce a proposal to implement republic at the CA. They also agreed to establish constitutional president and executive prime minister and bring about necessary changes in the interim constitution for this purpose.

“The president will be the commander in chief of the national army. He will act as per the recommendation of the Prime Minister. He will be authorised to declare emergency in accordance with the cabinet decision,” said NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi.

He added that president will be elected by the CA and details about his election process will be worked out and incorporated in another amendment proposal soon.

Following the decision, the CA have been prorogued till June 5.

Tilak Pariyar, CPN Maoist Candidate, wins in Banke Constituency No. 1 - 13 April, 2008

CPN Maoist Candidate Tilak Pariyar is elected from Banke Constituency No. 1.  He accounted for total 16087 votes while his nearest rival Dev Raj Bhar, CPN UML Candidate, got 9360 votes. NC Candidate Gajendra Bahadur Hamal got 6581 votes.

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