The Presidential Poll

Nepal is set to elect new president on March 9. Two presidential candidates – Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel and CPN-UML vice chairman Subas Nembang – registered their candidacy for the post at the Election Commission’s office set up inside the Federal Parliament Building, New Baneshwor on Saturday. Leaders from eight-party alliance proposed and seconded Poudel’s candidacy while Nembang has sole backing of UML, which is the second largest party in the parliament. Both Poudel and Nembang are former Speakers and have long innings in the country’s parliamentary politics.  Both the leaders are known for their soft and middle-of-the-road approach in their respective parties. They are vying to be the third president of Nepal that became federal democratic republic after April Uprising in 2006 that toppled the autocratic monarchy, paving the way for the election to the Constituent Assembly in 2008 and 2013.

Nepal’s constitution, promulgated in 2015, has defined the role of the president as the custodian of the constitution, which means it is not just a ceremonial post. A president should stand against any moves that undermine the provisions and norms of the constitution. So the Office of the President sometimes comes into conflict with the executive as seen in the tenure of former and outgoing presidents. The presidential hopefuls have recalled the very spirit of constitution after filing their nomination. Talking to media persons, Poudel said that protecting and institutionalising constitution and federal democratic republic would be his responsibility after being elected to the post. He stressed for keeping national unity and territorial integrity intact while working for inclusive prosperity for the people. 

Likewise, another presidential candidate Nembang said that he had played a role to promulgate the national charter by becoming a unanimous chairman of 13 political parties in the Constituent Assembly. I am seeking an opportunity to be a protector of the same constitution, he said. A presidential candidate has to muster around 26,394 vote weightage out of a total of 52,786. Altogether 332 lawmakers of federal parliament that includes both Lower and Upper Houses and 550 provincial lawmakers will cast their votes in the presidential polls. The presidential elections have attracted oodles of curiosity and interest of the public as this has led to the making and breaking of political alliances. The country saw intense cross-party negotiations and then sudden twist, with the parties shifting their ground over the presidency.   

A new eight-party alliance involving Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN-Unified Socialist, Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), Loktnatrik Samajbadi Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Rastriya Janamorcha and Janamat Party came into existence to back Poudel for the head of the state. The seven-party ruling alliance suffered a series of ruptures. Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) pulled out of the government after the CPN-Maoist Centre that leads the government moved to revive the previous five-party alliance under the NC. Now three more parties have joined it ahead of the presidential polls. Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has already quit the government after it was denied the Home Ministry portfolio. The UML that led the 7-party alliance is now under moral pressure to quit the government after it is isolated by the Maoist Centre. Whatever the moves and counter-moves of the parties, the presidential poll is expected to bolster the hard-won republic. It will be another milestone in implementing the constitution that has envisioned a robust welfare state based on the socialism-oriented economy and institutions.