Ram Chandra Paudel set to become Nepal's next president after Prachanda rejects Oli's candidate

The Nepali Congress' senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel is set to become Nepal's next president after he was endorsed by eight political parties, including the CPN-Maoist Centre of Prime Minister Prachanda who sidelined his coalition partner K P Sharma Oli's nominee to support his candidacy. 

Paudel will vie against CPN-UML's Subas Nembang in the March 9 presidential election which may change the power equation in the Himalayan nation.

Paudel, 78, and Nemwang, 69, filed their candidacies on Saturday.

Poudyal filed the nomination papers with the backing of eight political parties - Nepali Congress, CPN- Maoist Centre of Prime Minister Prachanda, CPN-Unified Socialist, Rastriya Janata Party, Lokatantrik Samajwadi Party, Rastriya Janamorcha, Nagarik Unmukti Party and Janamat Party.

Poudel's candidacy was proposed by Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal, Maoist Centre's Senior vice-chair Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Federal Council Chairman of Janata Samajbadi Party Ashok Rai and Abdul Khan of Janamat Party.

His candidacy was seconded by President of Loktantrik Samajbadi Party Mahanta Thakur, Congress vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka, Nagarik Unmukti Party Chairperson Ranjita Shrestha, Chairman of the Rastriya Janamorcha Chitra Bahadur KC and Maoist Centre's Hitraj Pande.

Nembang's candidacy was proposed by UML Chairman Oli, Deputy General Secretary Prithvi Subba Gurung, secretaries Gokarna Raj Bista, Raghubir Mahaseth, and Chhabilal Bishwakarma.

Party leaders Yogesh Bhattarai, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Juli Kumari Mahaseth, Dil Kumari Rawal Thapa, and Aman Kumar Maskey have seconded the proposal.

With the support from eight political parties, Poudyal's victory in the election is almost certain. The tenure of the current president, Bidya Devi Bhandari, will end on March 12.

Maoist Center Chairman and Prime Minister 'Prachanda' has dealt a blow to CPN-UML chairperson and former premier Oli by choosing a presidential candidate from outside the ruling alliance. The presidential election has put a serious question mark on the future of the seven-party ruling alliance.

Oli, however, claimed that Prime Minister Prachanda told him that he was under pressure to support Paudel's candidacy, MyRepublica newspaper reported.

He said Prachanda expressed hope that Prachanda will help the UML candidate according to the agreement of December 25.

Prime Minister Prachanda's party, which contested the November 20 parliamentary and provincial elections as a partner of the five-party alliance led by the NC, left the alliance on December 25 when the NC refused to give Dahal any of the two key posts - the president or the prime minister. 

Prachanda then forged an alliance with CPN-UML to form the government.

The total number of voters for the election of the President is 882, consisting of 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 whereas that of the provincial assembly member is 48.

The term of office of the President shall be five years from the date of election and an individual can be elected for the post of the President only for two terms.