Nepal to have new president on March 13

KATHMANDU: Nepal will hold presidential election on March 13 to elect the new president who will succeed the Himalayan nation's first woman President Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

Though the president's term is for five years, the election this time is being held after two-and-a-half years as the country is implementing full federalism under the new Constitution, bidding farewell to the old centralised political system.

The Election Commission announced the date for electing the country's third president after its officials yesterday held consultations with the government and various political parties.

The EC has fixed March 7 for the nomination of candidates and the polling will be held on March 13. The vote counting will begin immediately after the polls on the same day. A candidate must receive a majority of the 884 votes --334 votes of parliament members and 550 of provincial assembly members- - to get elected to the post. If no candidate receives a majority of the total vote, the EC will hold a run-off election between the top two candidates.

The date for the election of the vice president will be decided within a week after the president is elected. The elections of the president and vice president will be held on separate dates to ensure the representation of different communities and genders in the top two state posts, officials said.

Bhandari was elected as the first woman president of Nepal in October, 2015. With the formation of the new Parliament, the tenure of the president expires.