SHER BAHADUR DEUBA ELECTED PRESIDENT OF NEPALI CONGRESS

For mer prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has pledged to end infighting in the Nepali Congress after being elected the president of the country’s oldest political party.

The 69-year-old head of the party’s so-called “rebel faction” secured 1,822 votes to defeat acting president Ram Chandra Poudel, who bagged 1,296 of the 3,140 votes cast.

“There will be no factions within the party now and my sole focus would be to keep it united and work together with others,” he told reporters soon after getting elected late on Monday night.

Deuba said the Nepali Congress, as the largest party in parliament, would take a leading role in implementing the new Constitution adopted last September.

The Nepali Congress is not part of the ruling coalition headed by the Communist Party of NepalUnified Marxist Leninist though there has been speculation it would join the government.

The party president’s post fell vacant after the death of former prime minister Sushil Koirala last month, weeks ahead of the Nepali Congress’ 13th general convention.

The first round of voting on Sunday was a failure as none of the threecandidatesmanagedtosecure more than 50% of the total votes.

After a second round of voting on Monday, general secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula, who came third in the first round, withdrew from the race.