Bidiya Devi elected as the first president of Nepal

Nepal’s parliament has elected Bidiya Devi as the nation’s first female President. Bidhya Devi Bhandari of the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist received 327 votes against her opponent’s 214 in parliament on 28th October 2015. The new constitution adopted last month required Nepal to name a new president. The document says one-third of the members of parliament have to be women and either the president or vice-president must be a woman. Bhandari is Nepal’s second president since the Himalayan nation became a republic after abolishing the centuries-old monarchy.

About Bidiya Devi

  • Bhandari is a campaigner for women’s rights in Nepal. She was among the politicians who pushed to secure their rights under the new constitution. She was the vice-chairperson of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist). Bhandari was married to communist leader Madan Bhandari, who died in a car accident near Dasdhunga in 2050 B.S.

About Nepal’s New Constitution

  • Constitution of Nepal, which came into effect on September 20, 2015.
  • The Constitution was drafted by the Second Constituent Assembly.
  • Previous constitutions of Nepal were enacted in 1948, 1951, 1959, 1962, 1990 and 2007.

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