'Dr Yadav is Nepal's first president'

KATHMANDU, July 21 - Nepali Congress General Secretary Dr Ram Baran Yadav has been elected the first president of the federal democratic republic of Nepal.Dr Yadav, a leader from the southern plains (Maadhes), gained 308 out of 590 votes on Monday's presidential run-off, while his opponent Maoist-backed Ram Raja Prasad ... ...got only 282 votes.The Constituent Assembly (CA) Chairman Kul Bahadur Gurung announced the victory of Yadav at the CA assembly held after the presidential election.CA members cast their votes from 8 to 11 this morning at the CA hall at New Baneshwor in the capital.Among a total of 594 lawmakers, 590 members of different parties participated in today's election.The presidential poll was conducted again today after both NC candidate Dr Yadav and Maoist candidate Singh were unable to secure a clear majority, i. 298 votes, in the election held on Saturday.The parties who had boycotted Saturday's election also participated in today's poll.National People's Front Nepal, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, CPN-United and Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekata Party who had previously boycotted Saturday's election to pick the president and vice president participated in today's poll. They informed that they voted in favour of Dr Yadav.Supporters of NC candidate Dr Yadav have already gathered at the CA hall in New Baneshwor to celebrate his victory.The result of the president poll run-off held at the CA hall this morning will be officially announced at the CA meeting.The CA session which was due to be held at four today has not begun yet.Meanwhile, the newly-elected president and the vice president will be taking the oath of office and secrecy later today.A meeting of the Council of Ministers is also scheduled to hold a programme to honour the winner of the two posts, i. Dr Yadav and Parmananda Jha, later today.Nepali Congress (NC) central member 61-year old Dr Ram Baran Yadav has been the party's general secretary for two years.Dr Yadav, who has an MD in General Medicine, was born into a middle-class family in Dhanusha district.Dr Yadav has opened a nursing home in Janakpur where he performed his medical practice. He has also established an organisation in the name of NC founder leader BP Koirala, which works in the health and education sector for the poor.Dr Anil Singh, Dr KP Mishra, Dr Bijay Kumar Singh and Dr Nagendra Yadav, who Dr Yadav has worked closely with, said that he makes decisions only after thinking thoroughly.They feel that Dr Yadav is capable of understanding and addressing the problems of the country.Now elected the country's first president, Dr Yadav was actively involved in politics since the 1960s students' movement.He participated in the campaigns favouring multi-party democracy when the referendum was held in 1980 during the Panchayat regime.Since 2043, Dr Yadav was deeply engaged in the politics leaving behind his medical career.He won the elections held in 1990 and 1998/99 from NC.His luck remained same even in the year 2008 as he was directly elected to the Constituent Assembly (CA) through the landmark election held in April.Dr Yadav had already held the position of Minister three times before.Today, he has been elected federal democratic Nepal's first president with the vote of lawmakers of Terai, hill and mountain.

Add to: del.icio.us | Digg