March 9: Voting to elect a new president has begun at the Parliament Building in New Baneshwar amid tight security and surveillance.    
Presidential candidate Ram Chandra Paudel inaugurated the voting by casting his vote. Voting that started at 10 am runs until 3 pm, said assistant returning officer Amrita Kumari Sharma.    
Separate polling stations have been designated for the voters in the Lhotse chamber of the Parliament Building.    
Ram Chandra Paudel from the Nepali Congress and Subash Chandra Nembang from the CPN (UML) are contesting for the coveted position. Former Speaker Paudel has been supported by the recently formed nine-party alliance of NC, CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, Loktantrik Samajwadi Party Nepal, Janamat Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Rastriya Janamorcha and Nepal Samajwadi Party. Nembang, who previously served as chairperson of the then Constituent Assembly, is backed by the UML.    
 According to the Constitution of Nepal, the president has a ceremonial role and is entrusted with the responsibility to protect and abide by the constitution. The country adopted the presidential system following the establishment of republic through the People’s Movement of 2006.

The electoral college comprising of the members of the Federal Parliament and provincial assemblies will elect the president. There are a total of 882 eligible voters in the Federal Parliament (the House of Representatives and the National Assembly) and the seven provincial assemblies (332 under the Federal Parliament and 550 under the provincial assemblies). The vote of a Federal Parliament MP has the weight of 79 votes, and the that of Province Assembly member is 48. According to the constitution, no person shall be elected to the Office of President more than twice. -- RSS