Bidya Devi Bhandari elected first woman President of Nepal

CPN-UML leader Bidya Devi Bhandari has been elected the first woman president of Nepal, securing 327 votes in the election held at Legislature-Parliament in Nayabaneshwor, Kathmandu on Wednesday.  House Speaker Onsari Gharti announced Bidya’s victory as the new president of Nepal.  Bhandari’s rival candidate Nepali Congress leader Kul Bahadur Gurung secured 214 votes.  Speaker Onsari Gharti announced the poll results in the meeting of the Legislature-Parliament held following the completion of vote count. The announcement of presidential election was made as per Clause 3 of Article 297 of the Nepal's Constitution. The Speaker congratulated Bhandari on behalf of the Parliament and personally on her election to the post of new President of the country.  Out of total 597 lawmakers, 549 lawmakers took part in the voting held at the parliament earlier in the day, while 48 voters remained absent. Out of total 549 votes cast, eight were deemed invalid. Ruling CPN-UML, UCPN (Maoist), Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal, ML, and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Loktantrik, among other political parties, supported Bhandari in the election. According to constitutional provision, a candidate securing a majority of the total number of lawmakers would eb elected as the president.  The lawmakers of Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha boycotted the election.  The election that began at 11:00 am at the Lhotse Hall of Legislature- Parliament Building ran until 14: 00 pm.