Ram Chandra Paudel Sworn in as Nepal’s Third President
KATHMANDU: Nepal got its 3rd president on 13th March as senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel was administered the oath. Acting Chief Justice Hari Krishna Karki administered the vow to the 78-year-old at a special ceremony at Sheetal Niwas, the President’s Office.
Outgoing President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, having completed the maximum two terms in office, passed the position on immediately after the swearing-in ceremony.
Ram Chandra was elected as the president of the Himalayan Nation on Thursday by members of the Federal Parliament and provincial assemblies. He defeated Subas Chandra Nembang of the CPN-UML. Out of 52,628 weightage-based votes, Paudel secured 33,802 while Nembang got 15,518 votes.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun, outgoing President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire, National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina and other high-ranking government officials were present on the occasion.
Paudel has spent over a decade in jail. The former Speaker has been a lawmaker six times, a minister five times, and a speaker for a term.
The term of office of the President will be five years from the date of election and an individual can be elected for the post for only two terms.
