KATHMANDU, February 26: Nepal’s presidential election is scheduled for March 9.
The second term of President Bidya Devi Bhandari is drawing to a close and Nepal will soon have a new head of state. According to the country’s constitution, a person who has served two terms as president cannot run for office again.
Nepal’s presidential election differs from other elections in the country because the public cannot vote. Instead, an electoral college made up of all members of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly of the federal parliament, as well as members of the seven provincial parliaments, will elect the president. The electoral college will consist of 884 members, including 275 members of the House of Representatives, 59 members of the National Assembly and 550 members of the provincial assemblies, as established in article 62 of the constitution.
Ram Chandra Poudel of the Congress of Nepal and Subhash Nembang of CPN-UML are vying for the position.
Here’s the math:
National Assembly
Total 59 legislators – vote weight 4,661
Nepal Congress: 10 legislators – vote weight 790
CPN-UML: 18 deputies – weight of votes 1,422
CPN (Maoist Center) – 15 legislators vote weight 1,185
CPN (Unified Socialist) – 8 legislators, 632 weighted votes
Janata Samajbadi Party: three legislators, weight of 632 votes
Loktantrik Samajbadi Party – 1 legislator, vote weight 79
Janamorcha- 1 deputy, vote weight 79
appointed legislators; 3, vote weight 236
