2008 Nepalese presidential election

Presidential election in Nepal 2008 Nepalese presidential election Nepal presidential no 2015 Nepalese presidential election 2015 19 July 2008 (first round)21 July 2008 (second round) Ram Baran Yadav.jpg 89 89 94 Ram Baran Yadav Nepali Congress Dhanusa Parmananda Jha 308 52.20% Ram Raja Prasad Singh.jpg 88 88 92 Ram Raja Prasad Singh Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (1994) Saptari Shanta Shrestha 282 47.80% President Ram Baran Yadav Nepali Congress Indirect presidential elections were held in Nepal in July 2008. The first round of voting was held on 19 July, with a run-off on 21 July. The 1st Nepalese Constituent Assembly (CA) elected in April 2008 elected a new president and vice-president after the Fifth Amendment to the Interim Constitution was passed on 14 July.http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul14/news01.php CA to Elect President on 19 July 2008-07-14 Nepal News 2008-07-21February 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes This would be the first President to be elected after Nepal became a republic a few months earlier. Background Following the newly passed amendment, provisions were introduced stating that the majority party would form the government, the Constituent Assembly (CA) would elect the new president on the basis of a majority, and the Leader of the Opposition would become a member of the Constitutional Council.http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul14/news01.php Fifth Amendment Passed; Coast Cleared for Forming Majority Govt 2008-07-14 Nepal News 2008-07-21February 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Subsequently, the leading political parties, the Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), and the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist–Leninist) engaged in discussions regarding the selection of the new president. The Nepali Congress supported Prime Minister and interim Head of State Girija Prasad Koirala, while the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist–Leninist) backed its former Secretary-General Madhav Kumar Nepal for the presidency. However, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) advocated for an independent figure rather than party leaders such as Koirala or Nepal. Although the Maoists emerged as the largest party in the CA, they still needed to form a coalition government with other parties.http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/15/asia/AS-Nepal-Politics.php Nepal's Top Political Parties Begin Search for Country's First President 2008-07-15 International Herald Tribune 2008-07-21 Organisation The election was conducted by the Office of the Election Officer (OEO). On 16 July 2008 OEO released a voters list of 593 CA members. The CA was 601 seats in total, but due to by-elections due in five constituencies and three CA members had not been sworn in at the time. http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=153761 Election Office set to hold Presidential Election 2008-07-16 eKantipur.com 2008-07-21 2008-08-03 https://web.archive.org/web/20080803070042/http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=153761 dead Candidates On 9 June 2008, the CPN (Maoist) declared that five names from outside their party they would consider for the presidency: Sahana Pradhan Ram Raja Prasad Singh Nara Bahadur Karmacharya Padma Ratna Tuladhar Devendra Raj Pandey. http://www.telegraphnepal.com/news_det.php?news_id=3550 Telegraph Nepal Nepal Maoist Propose Five Names for President 2006-06-09 2008-07-21 2015-09-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20150924114020/http://www.telegraphnepal.com/news_det.php?news_id=3550 dead Negotiations between CPN(Maoist) and CPN(UML) appeared to have broken down by 17 July 2008 so the three major parties all nominated their own candidates for president and vice-president. All three main presidential candidates were Madhesis.http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul17/news07.php Parties Fail to Pick Common Presidential Candidate; Frontrunners are Three Madhesis 2008-07-17 Nepal News 2008-07-21 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20081122033719/http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul17/news07.php 2008-11-22 The largest Madhesi party, the MJF, announced that they'd support Singh as president, http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6452565.html CPN-M President Candidate Gathers Simple Majority 2008-07-17 People's Daily Online 2008-07-21 but nominated their own candidate for vice president. http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6452628.html 2008-07-17 Nepali Political Parties File Different Names for 1st President People's Daily Online 2008-07-21 http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul17/news11.php 2008-07-17 Candidates for President, Veep File Nominations; Singh Stands Fair Chance 2008-07-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20081006181607/http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul17/news11.php 2008-10-06 dead PartyPresidential candidateVice-presidential candidateCommunist Party of Nepal (Maoist)Ram Raja Prasad SinghShanta ShresthaNepali CongressRam Baran YadavMin Bahadur BishwokarmaCommunist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)Ramprit PaswanAstalaxmi ShakyaMadhesi Janadhikar ForumParmanand Jha On the day of the poll the CPN(UML) and MJF agreed to back the NC candidate for the presidency and the CPN(UML) and NC agreed to back the MJF candidate for the vice-presidency, thus nullifying the agreement the Maoists had with the three Madhesi parties. Results 578 CA members participated in the poll on 19 July 2008. Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Rastriya Janamorcha, the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified) boycotted the election.http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul19/news06.php Voting for President, Vice President Completes 16 CA Members Absent 2008-08-19 Nepal News 2008-07-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20081012212911/http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul19/news06.php 2008-10-12 dead The sole CA member of the Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekta Party, Keshav Prasad Mainali, only participated in the vice-presidential poll. http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul20/news04.php PM meets with Chure Bhawar Leader; Parties Intensify Parleys Nepal News 2008-07-20 2008-07-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20081122034834/http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul20/news04.php 2008-11-22 dead On 19 July, Parmananda Jha was declared the first Vice President of Nepal. Jha received 305 votes beating his nearest rival Shanta Shrestha from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M) with 243 votes.http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-07/20/content_8575055.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20080802192436/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-07/20/content_8575055.htm dead August 2, 2008 Nepali Vice President Elected, New Date for President Voting set 2008-07-19 www.chinaview.cn 2008-07-21 However, the President of Nepal could not be elected as neither candidate got a clear majority. Ram Baran Yadav received 283 votes and Ram Raja Prasad Singh won 270 votes. A run-off election was thus called for.https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7517148.stm Vote Setback for Nepalese Maoists 2008-07-21 BBC News 2008-07-21 On 21 July, Ram Baran Yadav of the Nepali Congress, who was supported by the CPN (UML) and MJF, got support from around 308 Constituent Assembly members in 594 Constituent Assembly members. His rival was Ram Raja Prasad Singh, nominated by the CPN (M).http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2008-07/21/content_6863931.htm Nepali Presidential Re-Election Voting Concludes 2008-07-21 Xinhua China Daily 2008-07-21 Prasad won 282 votes. Earlier, during vice-presidential election and first round of presidential elections, Maoists had threatened to refuse to form a government if their choice for the presidency did not succeed as they feared that certain electoral pledges such as land reform would not able to pass. Kul Bahadur Gurung, the speaker of constituent assembly, declared Ram Yadav winner of second-round presidential election on Monday. Yadav went to become the first President of Nepal after it became a republic. The new president replaced the deposed King Gyanendra as the head of the state.http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-07/21/content_8741514.htm Ram Yadav Elected 1st Nepali President 2008-07-21 Xinhua 2008-07-21July 2022 medicmedic President Ram Baran Yadav Nepali Congress 283 308 Ram Raja Prasad Singh Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) 270 282 24 1 594 Nepal Newshttp://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul19/news08.php Jha Becomes Nepal's First Vice President; Re-Polling for President set for Monday 2008-07-19 Nepal News 2008-07-21 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20081012160823/http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2008/jul/jul19/news08.php 2008-10-12 Vice-President Parmanand Jha Madheshi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal 305 Shanta Shrestha Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) 243 Nepal News References External links Election Commission of Nepal President Category:Presidential elections in Nepal Category:History of Nepal (2008–present) Nepal