Oct 18, 2015- The process to elect the new President and Vice President will start at the first meeting of Legislature-Parliament after Dashain, which has been scheduled for October 24. According to the Parliament Secretariat, the meeting will announce the schedule for the election of the head and deputy head of state. It is likely that two days will be allotted for unanimous selection of the candidates.
If there is no consensus among the parties, vote for the posts will be held on October 27. Article 297 (2) of the constitution requires the election of the President and the Vice President within a month of commencement of the parliamentary session on the basis of political understanding.
If there is no understanding among the parties, Article 297 (3) mandates a majority process of election. The House session started on October 2, which means the process to elect the top officials should start by the end of October. According to officials, the vote would be scheduled after consultation with Speaker-elect Onsari Gharti Magar. Candidates need a minimum of 299 votes in the House to win. Meanwhile, Magar will take the oath of office from President Ram Baran Yadav on Sunday afternoon.
Published on: The Kathmandu Post(Oct 18, 2015)
