”The President and Vice President are not allowed to vote because they have a neutral role in the Constitution,” the Secretariat of the President and Vice President informed Ikantipur.
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President Ram Chandra Poudel and Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav have decided not to vote in the House of Representatives elections, remaining neutral. The first President Ram Baran Yadav and the second President Bidya Devi Bhandari also did not vote while in office.
‘Since the Constitution has a neutral role, the President and Vice President cannot vote,’ the Secretariat of the President and Vice President informed Ikantipur.
Prime Minister Sushila Karki will vote at a center located in Vidyalal, Dhapasi Heights, Kathmandu Region No. 5. ‘The Prime Minister will vote from a center in Dhapasi Heights,’ said a member of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.
Former presidents have been voting. Former President Ram Baran Yadav has been voting from BP Koirala Secondary School in Laxminayi Rural Municipality, Dhanusha. This time too, he will vote from the same place.
Former President Bidya Bhandari is scheduled to vote at the former VDC building of Budhanilkantha Municipality-2. Yadav and Bhandari also did not vote while in office as President. There is a tradition of not voting as the President and Vice President are in the role of 'constitutional neutral'. The Constitution does not mention the President and Vice President voting in the elections to the House of Representatives, Provincial Assembly and local level.
Similarly, former Vice Presidents Parmananda Jha and Nanda Bahadur Pun also did not vote. Jha is living a retired life while Pun has returned to active politics.
The Constitution has made it clear that the President should perform his duties in the role of the Head of State of the country.
'The President shall be the Head of State of Nepal. He shall perform his duties in accordance with this Constitution and the federal law. The President shall promote the national unity of Nepal,' the Constitution states, 'The main duty of the President shall be to uphold and protect the Constitution
. The President shall exercise the powers and perform the duties conferred upon him in accordance with this Constitution or federal laws.’
Former Prime Ministers and UML Chairman KP Oli will vote in Balkot, Bhaktapur-2, while NCP Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal will vote from the Nepal Police School Shantipur polling station located in Bharatpur-14, Chitwan-3.
Former Prime Minister and founder of the Progressive Democratic Party Baburam Bhattarai will vote from Khoplang, Palungtar Municipality-1 under Gorkha-2.
NCP Co-Coordinator and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has been voting at a school center in Gaur, Rautahat-1 constituency.
