Kathmandu, October 31

Once the commander of an outlawed party fighting against state forces Nanda Kishor Pun was elected vice-president of the country today.

Another former commander of Unified CPN-Maoist Onsari Gharti, who is Speaker of the Legislature Parliament, today declared Pun elected to the post of vice-president. Gharti congratulated and wished Pun a successful tenure.

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Of the total of 596 members of the Legislature Parliament, 547 votes were cast. Ten votes were declared invalid. Of the 537 valid votes, Pun received 325 while Nepali Congress candidate Amiya Kumar Yadav got 212 votes.

Gharti said that with the resignation of CPN-UML Lawmaker Bidhya Bhandari after being elected president of the country, the total strength of the Parliament was 596.

UML’s Prava Devi Bajracharya, Nepali Congress’s Shila Khadka and Madhu Shahi Thakuri and UCPN-M’s Bhakti Pande were absent.

Pun, who is not a member of Parliament, was managed a special seat at the balcony and was taken to Shankar Hall for members of the parliament to congratulate him.

A large number of supporters who had reached there to congratulate him could not meet him due to the crowd when he emerged from the Parliament building.

As soon as he was elected the new vice-president, Pun went to UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s Lazimpat-based residence to thank him for his efforts to ensure his victory.

According to the vice-president elect’s son Dipesh Pun, his father, who is currently a standing committee member of the party, will relieve himself of all responsibilities of the party tomorrow. Pun is scheduled to take oath of office and secrecy at 2:00pm tomorrow.

Chinese veep congratulates Pun

KATHMANDU: Hours after former Maoist Commander Nanda Kishor Pun was elected Vice-president of Nepal, Chinese Vice-president Li Yuanchao congratulated him. According to Pun’s aide Manoj Gharti Magar, Chinese ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai had reached Pun’s residence at Kapan to extended congratulations on behalf of his Chinese counterpart.