Dr Ram Baran Yadav becomes Nepal's first president
Nepali Congress (NC) candidate Dr Ram Baran Yadav has become the first president of republic Nepal, securing a comfortable majority in the presidential run-off held today.
Constituent Assembly (CA) chairman K.B Gurung announced in the CA meeting this evening that Yadav had been elected president by winning a simple majority.
Yadav bagged 308 votes while his rival Ram Raja Prasad Singh, who was backed by the Maoists, ended up with 282 votes.
Yadav was supported by CPN (UML), Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, CPN (ML), Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, CPN (United), Rastriya Janamorcha, Rastriya Janashakti Party and a few other fringe parties.
The 61-year-old president elect hails from Dhanusha district. He was the general secretary of the Congress party.
Altogether 590 votes were cast in today's run-off poll.
The run-off voting was conducted as none of the candidates reached the magic number, 298, in Saturday's election. Madhesi Janadhikar Forum candidate Parmananda Jha was elected vice president in the previous voting.
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress cadres carried out huge rallies in Kathmandu and elsewhere around the country to celebrate Yadav's victory in the presidential poll.
Briefly talking to media persons in CA premises, president elect Yadav said he would work for strengthening democracy in the country. nepalnews.com mk July 21 08
