Poudel vs Nembang : Two Former Speakers contesting against each other for President’s Post

Ram Chandra Poudel and Subas Chandra Nembang have been picked as the presidential candidates of the CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress respectively to contest the Nepal presidential election on March 9.

A meeting of the work performance committee of Nepali Congress held on Saturday morning decided to field its senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel in the presidential election. Similarly, the CPN-UML has chosen Vice President Subash Chandra Nembang as its presidential candidate.

Interestingly, both Poudel and Nembang are former Speakers of the House of Representatives.

Ram Chandra Poudel was elected as the speaker of House of representatives (lower house) in 1994 and served until 1998, while Nembang was in the role of Speaker for four times in the hsitory of Nepal. He was the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly when the Constitution was promulgated in 2072 BS.

With a newly formed eight-party alliance supporting Paudel, Poudel is almost certain to win the race.

Eight political parties including the ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) had decided to support Congress candidate in the election of President.

The parties had taken the decision during a meeting held at the prime minister’s residence in Baluwatar on Friday evening.

NC’s Poudel will be supported by four ruling parties—the CPN (Maoist Centre), the Janata Samajbadi Party, the Janamat Party and the Nagarik Unmukti Party, while the three parties in the opposition— the CPN (Unified Socialist), Loktantrik Samajbadi Party and Rastriya Janamorcha—will also support the party for its presidential bid.

But, as the UML also picked a key leader as the candidate, there are speculations that its chairman KP Sharma Oli might have some secret plans to turn the tables in the eleventh hour.

Nominations for the candidates contesting for the post are being registered today from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

The voting for the election of the Head of the State will take place from 10 am to 3 pm on March 9.

The President is elected by the Electoral College comprising members of the Federal Parliament (House of Representatives and the National Assembly) and the Provincial Assembly.

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 the federal MP is 79 and of the provincial assembly member is 48.