Kathmandu: Nepal will hold its first-ever Presidential poll on July 19 amid political wrangling over who should get the coveted post of the head of state following the ouster of King Gyanendra.
The Constituent Assembly (CA) said on Tuesday that the first President and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nepal would be elected on Saturday, after the 601-strong house approved the procedures for the poll.
However, if major parties - Maoists, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML - reach a consensus over a common candidate by July 17, there would be no need for an election, NC central member Prakash Sharan Mahat said.
As per the regulation for election of President, anyone having the Nepalese citizenship certificate can contest the poll. However, the candidate's name should be proposed by five CA members and seconded by another five for him to be qualified to contest the poll, sources at Parliament Secretariat said.
As per the schedule, the voters' list will be published tomorrow, the nomination papers would be accepted on July 17 and after leaving a day for canvassing, the election would take place on July 19.
As the three-party talks on a common candidate for the post of President failed to reach an agreement today, the election is most likely to take place, NC spokesman Arjun Narsingh Khetri Chhetri said.
CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda and leader Baburam Bhattarai on Tuesday separately met leaders of Nepali Congress and CPN-UML in a bid to reach a consensus on a Presidential candidate, but the meetings ended inconclusively, Chhetri said.
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