Ram Chandra Poudel: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Nepali politician}}
{{short description|President of Nepal since 2023}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{BLP sources|date=December 2020}}
{{Cleanup rewrite|date=December 2020}}
{{Fanpov|date=June 2021}}
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{{Infobox officeholder
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [[Honourable]]
| honorific_prefix   = [[His Excellency]]<br/>[[The Right Honourable]]
| name = Ram Chandra Paudel
| name               = Ram Chandra Poudel
| native_name = राम चन्द्र पौडेल
| native_name         = रामचन्द्र पौडेल
| image = Ramchandra paudel.jpg
| image               =
| caption = Ram Chandra Poudel
| office              = 3rd [[President of Nepal]]
|party = [[Nepali Congress]]
| term_start          = 13 March 2023
| office = Speaker of [[House of Representatives (Nepal)|House of Representatives]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/18/world/nepal-communist-set-back.html|title = Nepal Communist Set Back|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 18 December 1994}}</ref>
| term_end            =  
| termstart = 1994
| vicepresident      = [[Nanda Kishor Pun]]<br>[[Ram Sahaya Yadav]]
| termend = 1999
| primeminister      = [[Pushpa Kamal Dahal]]
|constituency =[[Tanahun 2]]
| predecessor        = [[Bidya Devi Bhandari]]
| monarch = [[Birendra of Nepal]]
| successor          =
| primeminister = [[Sher Bahadur Deuba]]
| office1            = [[Speaker of the House of Representatives (Nepal)|Speaker of the House of Representatives]]
|predecessor    =[[Daman Nath Dhungana]]
| termstart1          = 18 December 1994
|successor      =[[Taranath Ranabhat]]
| termend1            = 23 March 1999
| office2 = [[Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal|Deputy Prime Minister]]<br> and <br>Minister for Home Affairs
| deputy1            = Ram Vilas Yadav <br/>Lila Shrestha Subba
| termstart2 = 2000
| monarch1            = [[King Birendra of Nepal|King Birendra]]
| termend2 = 2002
| predecessor1        = [[Daman Nath Dhungana]]
|constituency2 =[[Tanahun 2]]
| successor1          = [[Taranath Ranabhat]]
| monarch2 = [[Gyanendra of Nepal]]
{{Collapsed infobox section begin|Ministerial positions|titlestyle=background-color:lavender}}
| primeminister2 = [[Girija Prasad Koirala]]
| office2            = [[Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal|Deputy Prime Minister]] and [[Ministry of Home Affairs (Nepal)|Minister for Home Affairs]]
|nationality=[[Nepal]]ese
| termstart2          = 1999
| termend2            = 2002
| primeminister2      = [[Krishna Prasad Bhattarai]]<br>[[Girija Prasad Koirala]]<br>[[Sher Bahadur Deuba]]
| monarch2            = [[Gyanendra of Nepal|King Gyanendra]]
| predecessor2        =
| successor2          =
| office3            = [[Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction (Nepal)|Minister for Peace and Reconstruction]]
| termstart3          = 2007
| termend3            = 2008
| primeminister3      = [[Girija Prasad Koirala]]
| president3          = {{nowrap|[[Girija Prasad Koirala]] {{small|''(Acting)''}}}}
| predecessor3        =
| successor3          =
| office4            = Minister for Local Development and Agriculture
| termstart4          = 1991
| termend4            = 1994
| monarch4            = [[King Birendra of Nepal|King Birendra]]
| primeminister4      = [[Girija Prasad Koirala]]{{Collapsed infobox section end|Ministerial positions|titlestyle=background-color:lavender}}
{{Collapsed infobox section begin|Parliamentary offices|titlestyle=background-color:lavender}}
| office5            = [[Member of Parliament]], [[House of Representatives (Nepal)|Pratinidhi Sabha]]
| termstart5          = 22 December 2022
| termend5            = 9 March 2023
| constituency5      = [[Tanahun 1 (constituency)|Tanahun 1]]
| predecessor5        = [[Krishna Kumar Shrestha]]
| successor5          = [[Swarnim Wagle]]
| termstart6          = October 1994
| termend6            = May 2002
| predecessor6        = [[Govinda Raj Joshi]]
| successor6          = Himself {{small|(as member of Constituent Assembly)}}
| constituency6      = [[Tanahun 2 (constituency)|Tanahun 2]]
| termstart7          = May 1991
| termend7            = August 1994
| predecessor7        = ''Constituency established''
| successor7          = [[Govinda Raj Joshi]]
| constituency7      = [[Tanahun 1 (constituency)|Tanahun 1]]
| office8            = Member of the [[1st Nepalese Constituent Assembly|Constituent Assembly]] / [[2nd Nepalese Constituent Assembly|Legislature Parliament]]
| termstart8          = 28 May 2008
| termend8            = 14 October 2017
| predecessor8        = Himself {{small|(as member of Pratinidhi Sabha)}}
| successor8          = [[Kedar Sigdel]] {{small|(as member of Pratinidhi Sabha)}}
| constituency8      = [[Tanahun 2 (constituency)|Tanahun 2]]{{Collapsed infobox section end|Parliamentary offices|titlestyle=background-color:lavender}}
| office9            = Vice President of the [[Nepali Congress]]
| termstart9          = 2008
| termend9            = 2016
| predecessor9        = [[Prakash Man Singh]]<br>[[Gopal Man Shrestha]]
| successor9          = [[Bimalendra Nidhi]]
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1944|10|15|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Tanahun]], [[Kingdom of Nepal|Nepal]]
| party              = [[Independent politician|Independent]] {{small|(since 2023)}}
| otherparty          = [[Nepali Congress]] {{small|(until 2023)}}
| nationality         = [[Nepalis|Nepali]]
| spouse              = Savita Poudel
| children            = 5
| parents            = Rishima {{small|(mother)}}<br>Durga Prasad {{small|(father)}}
| relations          = Wife
| education          =
| alma_mater          =
| occupation          = Politician
| awards              =
| website            =
}}
}}
'''Ram Chandra Paudel''' ([[Nepali language|Nepali]]:राम चन्द्र पौडेल) is a [[Nepal]]ese politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister and Speaker of the [[House of Representatives of Nepal]]. He is the senior leader of the [[Nepali Congress]]. He is popularly called as ‘Ram Chandra Dai’ by fellow Nepali Congress Cadets.


==Political life==
'''Ram Chandra Poudel''' ({{Lang-ne|रामचन्द्र पौडेल}}; born 15 October 1944) is a [[Nepal]]ese politician serving as the third [[President of Nepal]], in office since 13 March 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ram Chandra Paudel is new President |url=https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2023/03/09/ram-chandra-paudel-is-new-president |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=kathmandupost.com |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-03-09 |title=Ram Chandra Paudel is the new president of Nepal - OnlineKhabar English News |url=https://english.onlinekhabar.com/ram-chandra-paudel-nepal-president.html |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=Online Khabar |language=en-GB}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309112756/https://english.onlinekhabar.com/ram-chandra-paudel-nepal-president.html|date=2023-03-09}}</ref>
In the [[2008 Nepalese Constituent Assembly election|2008 Constituent Assembly election]] he was elected from the [[Tanahu district|Tanahu]]-2 constituency, winning 18,970 votes.<ref>[http://www.election.gov.np Election Commission of Nepal<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.nepalie.com/the-rd-show-with-ram-chandra-poudel/ Interview with Ram Chandra Poudel]</ref> He was elected as the Leader of the Parliamentary Party of the Nepali Congress on June 20, 2009, securing 61 votes against [[Sher Bahadur Deuba]], a former Prime Minister who received 48 votes.
 
[[File:Rcp kantipur Interview.jpg|thumb|Media Interview www.ekantipur.com/np]]
A former senior leader of the [[Nepali Congress]], Poudel previously served as the [[Speaker (politics)|speaker]] of the [[House of Representatives (Nepal)|House of Representatives]] from 1994 to 1999, and was the [[Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal|Deputy Prime Minister]] and [[Ministry of Home Affairs (Nepal)|Minister for Home Affairs]] from 1999 to 2002. First elected to [[Federal Parliament of Nepal|parliament]] in [[1991 Nepalese general election|1991]], he served in numerous other ministerial positions and was the Leader of Opposition from 2009 to 2013, as the parliamentary party leader of the [[Nepali Congress]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Paudel caps his career with presidency |url=https://kathmandupost.com/national/2023/03/10/paudel-caps-his-career-with-presidency |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=kathmandupost.com |language=English}}</ref>
Poudel is a senior leader and central committee member of the Nepali Congress who served as Acting President of the Nepali Congress after the death of party president Susil Koirala. He was actively involved in party organization for many years as a central committee member and vice-president.
 
== Early life ==
Ram Chandra Poudel was born on 15 October 1944 in a Brahmin farming family in the remote village of [[Satiswara]], located in the present-day [[Vyas Municipality|Vyas municipality]] of [[Tanahun District|Tanahun district]]. He completed his secondary education ([[School Leaving Certificate (Nepal)|SLC]]) from Nandi Ratri Secondary School in Kathmandu and studied [[Sanskrit literature]] at the [[Nepal Sanskrit University|Sanskrit University]] from 1963 to 1967.<ref>{{Cite web |title=१४ वर्षको बन्दी जीवनदेखि राष्ट्रपतिसम्म |url=https://gorkhapatraonline.com/news/56856 |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=GorakhaPatra}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=रासस |date=2021-06-14 |title=संस्कृत भाषाको पुनर्जागरण गर्नुपर्छः रामचन्द्र पौडेल |url=https://deshsanchar.com/2021/06/14/521649/ |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=देशसञ्चार |language=en-US}}</ref> He also completed a [[Master of Arts|MA]] in [[Nepali literature]] from the [[Tribhuvan University]] in 1970, appearing in his examinations while being detained in prison for anti-Panchayat activities.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=वामपन्थी राजनीति छाडेर कांग्रेसमा होमिएका रामचन्द्र, यस्तो छ बेलथुम्कीदेखि शीतलनिवाससम्मको यात्रा :: शिलापत्र संवाददाता :: Shilapatra शिलापत्र - खबरको स्थायी ठेगाना |url=https://shilapatra.com/detail/107292 |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=shilapatra.com}}</ref>
 
==Political career==
 
=== Early years and student politics (1960s and 1970s) ===
Poudel got into politics aged just 16 when he joined the protests and movement against the [[1960 Nepal coup d'état|dismissal]] of the [[B.P. Koirala cabinet, 1959|B.P. Koirala-led government]] and imposition of [[Panchayat (Nepal)|Panchayat rule]] by [[Mahendra of Nepal|King Mahendra]] in December 1960, and participated in numerous Congress-led armed struggles for the restoration of democracy in the 1960s. A key campaigner for the students’ movement in Nepal, he was elected president of the student union at the Saraswati Campus in 1967 and elected general secretary of the Democratic Socialist Youth League in 1968. Poudel took initiatives in organizing the [[Nepal Student Union]], the Congress party’s student wing established in 1970, and was the union's founding central committee member.
 
=== Party politics (1970s – 2023) ===
Poudel entered into mainstream party politics in 1977, when he was elected member of the Nepali Congress Tanahun district committee. He was elected vice-president of the district committee in 1979, and president in 1980. Poudel was appointed coordinator of the Nepali Congress's Central Publicity Committee in 1983, and was appointed member of the party's central committee and chief of the party's central level publicity bureau in 1987.


[[File:Mass rally 1.jpg|thumb|Addressing Mass Rally]]
Poudel was first elected to parliament from [[Tanahun 1 (constituency)|Tanahun 1]] in the [[1991 Nepalese general election|1991 general election]], and served as the Minister for Local Development and Agriculture from May 1991 to 1994.


==Personal life==
In the [[1994 Nepalese general election|1994 general election]], he switched seats and was elected from [[Tanahun 2 (constituency)|Tanahun 2]], a seat he then held consecutively until 2017. Poudel was elected speaker of the House of Representatives following the election, and served until 1999. Following the [[1999 Nepalese general election|1999 general election]], he was appointed deputy prime minister and Minister for Home Affairs, and he served in those positions until 2002.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Ram Chandra Paudel elected new President of Nepal |url=https://theannapurnaexpress.com/news/ram-chandra-paudel-elected-new-president-of-nepal-39370 |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=The Annapurna Express |language=en}}</ref>
Poudel was born in September 1944  into a higher class farmer's family in the remote village of Satiswara, located in the Tanahun district of western Nepal. He is married and has five children: four daughters one son.{{citation needed|date=July 2015}}
Poudel was elected general secretary of the Nepali Congress following the party's general convention in 2006. He played an important role in the peace process as the coordinator of the Peace Secretariat after the end of the civil war, and served as the Minister for Peace and Reconstruction from 2007 to 2008.<ref name=":1" /> Poudel was elected vice-president of the Nepali Congress in 2008, and defeated former prime minister [[Sher Bahadur Deuba]] to become Congress' parliamentary party leader following the [[2008 Nepalese Constituent Assembly election|2008 Constituent Assembly election]]. Poudel contested the prime ministerial election in parliament in 2010, but was not elected even after 17 rounds of election.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-10 |title=Ram Chandra Paudel Failed to Become Nepal Prime Minister 17 Times, But Won President Polls in First Attempt |url=https://www.news18.com/world/ram-chandra-paudel-failed-in-nepal-general-election-17-times-won-president-polls-in-first-attempt-7262011.html |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=News18 |language=en}}</ref> He served as the Congress party's acting president after the death of [[Sushil Koirala]] in 2016, but was defeated by Deuba in the party's 13th general convention later in the year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-02-16 |title=Koirala’s death sparks leadership tussle in Nepali Congress |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world/koirala-s-death-sparks-leadership-tussle-in-nepali-congress/story-1cm5vdQrfpUTtFvb6rldXN.html |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Times |first=The Himalayan |date=2016-03-07 |title=Sher Bahadur Deuba elected Nepali Congress president |url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/sher-bahadur-deuba-elected-nepali-congress-president |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=The Himalayan Times |language=en}}</ref>


==Education==
Having decided to switch back to his old seat of Tanahun 1, Poudel was defeated by [[Krishna Kumar Shrestha]] of the CPN (UML) in the [[2017 Nepalese general election|2017 general election]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sen |first=Sandeep |date=2017-12-10 |title=NC senior leader Poudel defeated in Tanahun 1 |url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/nepali-congress-senior-leader-ramchandra-poudel-defeated-tanahun-1 |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=The Himalayan Times |language=en}}</ref> He remained active in party politics, and was elected from Tanahun 1 in the [[2022 Nepalese general election|2022 general election]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Republica |title=NC leader Paudel elected as HoR member from Tanahun-1 |url=http://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/133874/ |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=My Republica |language=en}}</ref>
M.A. (1970) in Nepali literature from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, appeared in the examination while being detained the jail as an anti-panchayat leader.


SASTRI  (1967) in Sanskrit literature from Tribhuvan University. {{citation needed|date=July 2015}}
=== Detentions ===
Poudel spent over 15 years as a prisoner of conscience on various occasions, mostly for being an opponent of the panchayat system. He was detained on the following occasions:{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}


==Publications==
* For 10 months in 1962 in connection with the armed seize of [[Bharatpur, Nepal|Bharatpur]] by Nepali Congress.
Poudel received numerous literary awards on various debates and essay competitions. {{citation needed|date=July 2015}}
* For 12 months in 1964 in connection with student movements in Kathmandu.
* For 6 months in 1966 for being involved in a movement to oust the then-Deputy inspector General of Police.
* For 14 months in 1967 in connection with organisational activities of DSYL in Pokhara.
* For one year in 1969 in connection with the reorganization of DSYL in western Nepal.
* For 3 months in 1970 for being involved in the organization and inauguration of Nepal Student Union.
* For 4 years from 1971 to 1975 for being involved in revitalizing political activities after the release of [[BP Koirala|B.P. Koirala]].
* For 10 months in 1977  for being involved in the Patan Conference of the Nepali Congress, where a decision was taken to launch a civil disobedience movement (''Satyagraha'') for the restoration of democracy and release of its ailing leader, B.P. Koirala.
* For 6 months in 1979 for taking a leading role in anti-Panchayat movements
* For 6 months in 1981 in connection with the boycott of [[1981 Nepalese general election|Panchayati elections]].
* For 9 months in 1985 in connection with the civil disobedience movement (''Satyagraha'').
* For 3 months in 1988 on a charge of publishing a Nepali Congress organ and for breaching the ''Publication Act''.
* For 5 months in 1989 on a charge of organizing and inspiring people to take part in movement for restoration of democracy.
* For about one and half years from 2003 to 2005 during the King's direct rule.


He writes frequently political and theoretical affairs which are being published in national vernaculars.
== President (2023 – present) ==
Poudel was the candidate from Nepali Congress and its 10-party alliance for the 2023 presidential election, and was [[2023 Nepalese presidential election|elected president on 9 March 2023]], defeating former speaker [[Subaschandra Nemwang|Subas Chandra Nemwang]] of the [[Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist)|CPN (UML)]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eight political parties to support Congress candidate in presidential election |url=https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2023/02/24/eight-political-parties-to-support-congress-candidate-in-presidential-election |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=kathmandupost.com |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-09 |title=Nepal elects new president amid political uncertainty |url=https://apnews.com/article/nepal-president-parliament-vote-kathmandu-e1fb6b22fb61995262574c3bc4ad14e7 |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=AP NEWS |language=en}}</ref> He disassociated himself from all party responsibilities and resigned as an active member of the Nepali Congress after being elected president.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Republica |title=President-elect Paudel separates himself from party responsibilities |url=http://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/137539/ |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=My Republica |language=en}}</ref> Poudel resigned as member of Parliament before assuming office as president on 13 March 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=President Paudel resigns as HoR member |url=https://english.khabarhub.com/2023/13/296505/ |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=Khabarhub |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Republica |title=President Paudel assumes his office, resigns from the post of HoR member |url=http://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/137592/ |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=My Republica |language=en}}</ref>


He received Mahendra Bikram Shah Prize in 1987 on an article entitled "Human Rights Condition in Nepal".
== Personal life ==
Poudel is married to Savita Poudel and the couple have five children: four daughters and one son.


He has published the following books: {{citation needed|date=July 2015}}
=== Publications ===
Poudel is an active writer and his political and theoretical affairs are frequently published in national vernaculars, including:{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}


* ''What Nepali Congress Says'' (1976)
* ''What Nepali Congress Says'' (1976)
Line 58: Line 137:
* ''Democratic Socialism – A study'' (1990)
* ''Democratic Socialism – A study'' (1990)
* ''Journey of Faith'' (1996)
* ''Journey of Faith'' (1996)
* ''Abhisapta Etihas'' (2004)
* ''Abhisapta Itihas'' (2004)
* ''Socialism – In New Context'' (2012)
* ''Socialism – In New Context'' (2012)
* ''Agricultural Revolution and Socialism'' (2013)
* ''Agricultural Revolution and Socialism'' (2013)
 
Poudel received the ''Mahendra Bikram Shah Prize'' for an article titled "Human Rights Condition in Nepal" in 1987.<ref name=":0" />
==Political career==
(a) Greatly affected by the unconstitutional dissolution of parliament and the dismissal of the duly elected government led by B.P. Koirala in December, 1960 and decided to be involved in the movement for the restoration of democratic rights in the early age of 16.
 
(b) Associated with the Armed Insurrection Movement for the restoration of democracy and seize of Bharatpur/Chitwan in 1961.
 
(c) Initiated Free Student Movement in 1962.
 
(d) Elected President of the Saraswati College Student Union in 1966.
 
(e) Elected as a founder President of the Gandaki Student committee in 1966.
 
(f) Elected as the General Secretary of the Democratic Socialist Youth League (DSYL) in 1967.
 
(g) Took important initiative in organizing [[Nepal Student Union]] 1970 and elected as a Senior member of the committee of the Union.
 
(h) Elected as a member of the Nepali Congress Tanahun District Committee in 1977.
 
(i) Elected as a vice-president of the Nepali Congress Tanahun District Committee in 1979.
 
(j) Elected as a president of the Tanahun District Multy Party Campaigning committee in 1980.
 
(k) Made the coordinator of the Nepali Congress's Central Publicity Committee in 1983.
 
(l) Appointed as a member of the Central Committee of the Nepali Congress and was made the chief of its central level Publicity Bureau in 1987.
 
(m) Elected as a Member of Parliament from Tanahun Constituency No. 1 be defeating Nepal communist Party (United People's Front) Candidate with large margin. (1991)
 
(n) Served as the Minister for Local Development & Agriculture from May 29, 1991, to 1994.
 
(o) Elected as a Member of Parliament from Tanahun Constituency No. 2 by defeating Nepal Communist Party (UML) Candidate by huge Margin from general election held in 1994.
 
(p) Elected as the speaker of House of representatives (lower house) in 1994 and served until 1998.
 
(q) Served as the Minister for Home and Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal in 1999 to 2002.
 
(r) Made the coordinator of Peace Secretariat that included representative from top political parties. (2006-2007)
 
(s) Served as the Minister for Peace and Reconstruction in, 2007 to 2008
 
(t) Made the General Secretary of the Nepali Congress's Central Committee in 2006.
 
(u)  Made the vice-president of the Nepali Congress's Central Committee in 2007.
 
(v) Elected as a Member of Constituent Assembly from Tanahun Constituency No. 2 by defeating Nepal Communist Party (Maoists) Candidate from elections 2008.
 
(w) Elected as Parliamentary Party Leader of Nepali Congress party by defeating 3 times prime minister of Nepal and leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, 2008.
 
(x) Made the Vice President of Nepali Congress after being elected as Central Working Committee Member of the party in 12th General Assembly of the party in 2009. Serving till date.
 
(y) Elected as a Member of Constituent Assembly from Tanahun Constituency No. 2 by defeating Nepal Communist Party (UML) Candidate from 2nd CA Elections held in 2013.
 
==Jail years==
Spent all over 15 years as a prisoner of conscience on various occasions being an opponent of dictatorial panchayat regime (while leading campaigns against King's directly imposed ruling system).
 
(a) 1962-  Detained for 10 months in connection with the armed seize of bharatpur by Nepali Congress.
 
(b) 1964- Detained for 12 months in connection with the student movement in Kathmandu.
 
(c) 1966- Detained for 6 months for being involved in the movement to oust the then Deputy inspector General of Police.
 
(d) 1967- Detained for 14 months in connection with the organizational activities of DSYL in Pokhara.
 
(e) 1969 – Detained for one year in Kathmandu in connection with the reorganization of DSYL in Western Nepal.
 
(f) 1970- Detained for 3 months in Kathmandu for being involved in the organization and inauguration of Nepal Student Union.
 
(g) 1971 to 1975- Detained for 4 years for being active in revitalizing political activities after the release of the late B.P. Koirala
 
(h) 1977- Detained for 10 months for being involved in the Patan Conference of the Nepali Congress where the decision was taken to launch a civil disobedience movement(Satyagraha) for the restoration of democracy and the release of the ailing leader B.P. Koirala.
 
(i) 1979- Detained for 6 months for taking lead role in the movement which ultimately ushered in the referendum to make a choice between multi-party democracy or party less Panchayat  constitution.
 
(j) 1981- Detained for 6 months in connection with the boycott of the elections held as per the party less Panchayat constitution.
 
(k) 1985 – Detained for 9 months in connection with the civil disobedience movement(Satyagraha)
 
(l) 1988 – Detained for 3 months on the charge of publishing Nepali Congress organ and for breaching publication Act under Panchayat System.
 
[[File:Rc e1.jpg|thumb|Paudel, Ideological Thinker]]
 
(m) 1989 – Detained for 5 months in Baglung on the charge of organizing and inspiring people to take part on the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy.
 
(n) 2003-2005 – Detained for about one and half years in total after Kings directly imposed rule by former King Gyanendra Bikram Shah after the Royal Palace Massacre in 2001.
 
(o) Numerous other minor detentions during Panchayat system.
 
==Ideology==
Poudel believes that freedom and democracy should prevail in each and every sphere of the socio-cultural, political and economic life styles of the people. Freedom and democracy are the only guarantors which make the people of a country united and strong through its inherent checks and balances.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}
 
In Nepal's context where majority of the people are surviving below the basic minimum needs and in abject poverty, government undertakings are necessary to make at least those basic minimum needs available to the poor. The friendly approach of the government is very necessary in establishing small scale industrial undertakings and prorogation of the appropriate technologies with a view to facilitate employment opportunities throughout the country. It is only in a democracy and in an atmosphere of freedom that the government can play such role without being biased towards any creeds, religion, ethnicity and faith.
 
The poverty prevailed in the country has been the breeding ground for the communist oriented chauvinistic politics in the country. The Nepali Congress, as a harbinger of democracy and as a champion of freedom of the country has to realize its crucial role at this juncture. It has to keep itself a bit left to the centre on order to check ultra left chauvinism.
 
Economic development is the only way left to make people realize the fruits of democracy and freedom. But without hindering private sectors enghusiasms{{Clarify|date=December 2014}}, government has to work vigorously on basic education, infrastructure, environmental protection, population control and the relief of poverty. Such market- friendly interventions of the government would only bolster the private sector.
 
Decentralization is the only way through which the government would be able to exert its usefulness in an egalitarian manner. It is only through decentralization that political, economic and social power can be delegated to a common man. The common man should be able to participate in the development process actively through local self-government. It is through the approach of decentralization that people's power can be geared up gradually.
 
As we are in the process of democratization of the whole society, induction of true decentralization approach from the very beginning or groom the grass root level of politico-economic and administrative structures would be of utmost importance for the strengthening of democracy. The experiences earned by developed democratic countries in this context would prove vivid inspirations for us. {{citation needed|date=July 2015}}


==Honors==
==Honors==
*Poudel received the [[Order of the Rising Sun|Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun]] from [[Japan]] for his contributions in enhancing [[Japan–Nepal relations|Nepal-Japan ties]] in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel to receive Japanese honours|url=https://kathmandupost.com/miscellaneous/2020/04/30/congress-leader-ram-chandra-poudel-to-receive-japanese-honours|access-date=2021-02-12|website=kathmandupost.com|language=English}}</ref>
* {{flag|Japan}}: Grand Cordon of the [[Order of the Rising Sun]] (2020) {{ndash}} ''for contributions in enhancing [[Japan–Nepal relations|Nepal-Japan ties]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel to receive Japanese honours |url=https://kathmandupost.com/miscellaneous/2020/04/30/congress-leader-ram-chandra-poudel-to-receive-japanese-honours |access-date=2021-02-12 |website=kathmandupost.com |language=English}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310091719/https://kathmandupost.com/miscellaneous/2020/04/30/congress-leader-ram-chandra-poudel-to-receive-japanese-honours|date=2021-03-10}}</ref>''


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.facebook.com/RCPaudelNepal Facebook page]
* [http://www.facebook.com/RCPaudelNepal Facebook page]
*{{Official website|english.presidentofnepal.gov.np}} of the [[President of Nepal]]
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Bidya Devi Bhandari]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[President of Nepal]]|years=2023–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{Heads of State of Nepal}}
{{Heads of state of republics}}
{{Current Socialist rulers}}


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[[Category:People from Tanahun District]]
[[Category:Members of the Nepalese Constituent Assembly]]
[[Category:Nepali Congress politicians from Gandaki Province]]
[[Category:Nepali Congress politicians]]
[[Category:Speakers of the House of Representatives (Nepal)]]
[[Category:Speakers of the House of Representatives (Nepal)]]
[[Category:Government ministers of Nepal]]
[[Category:Government ministers of Nepal]]
[[Category:Interior ministers of Nepal]]
[[Category:Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun]]
[[Category:Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun]]
[[Category:Nepal MPs 1991–1994]]
[[Category:Nepal MPs 1991–1994]]
[[Category:Nepal MPs 1994–1999]]
[[Category:Nepal MPs 1994–1999]]
[[Category:Nepal MPs 1999–2002]]
[[Category:Nepal MPs 1999–2002]]
[[Category:Members of the 1st Nepalese Constituent Assembly]]
[[Category:Members of the 2nd Nepalese Constituent Assembly]]
[[Category:Nepal MPs 2022–present]]
[[Category:Candidates for President of Nepal]]
[[Category:Presidents of Nepal]]

Latest revision as of 21:55, 27 July 2023


His Excellency
The Right Honourable
Ram Chandra Poudel
रामचन्द्र पौडेल
3rd President of Nepal
Assumed office
13 March 2023
Prime MinisterPushpa Kamal Dahal
Vice PresidentNanda Kishor Pun
Ram Sahaya Yadav
Preceded byBidya Devi Bhandari
Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office
18 December 1994 – 23 March 1999
MonarchKing Birendra
DeputyRam Vilas Yadav
Lila Shrestha Subba
Preceded byDaman Nath Dhungana
Succeeded byTaranath Ranabhat
Ministerial positions
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs
In office
1999–2002
MonarchKing Gyanendra
Prime MinisterKrishna Prasad Bhattarai
Girija Prasad Koirala
Sher Bahadur Deuba
Minister for Peace and Reconstruction
In office
2007–2008
PresidentGirija Prasad Koirala (Acting)
Prime MinisterGirija Prasad Koirala
Minister for Local Development and Agriculture
In office
1991–1994
MonarchKing Birendra
Prime MinisterGirija Prasad Koirala
Parliamentary offices
Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha
In office
22 December 2022 – 9 March 2023
Preceded byKrishna Kumar Shrestha
Succeeded bySwarnim Wagle
ConstituencyTanahun 1
In office
October 1994 – May 2002
Preceded byGovinda Raj Joshi
Succeeded byHimself (as member of Constituent Assembly)
ConstituencyTanahun 2
In office
May 1991 – August 1994
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byGovinda Raj Joshi
ConstituencyTanahun 1
Member of the Constituent Assembly / Legislature Parliament
In office
28 May 2008 – 14 October 2017
Preceded byHimself (as member of Pratinidhi Sabha)
Succeeded byKedar Sigdel (as member of Pratinidhi Sabha)
ConstituencyTanahun 2
Vice President of the Nepali Congress
In office
2008–2016
Preceded byPrakash Man Singh
Gopal Man Shrestha
Succeeded byBimalendra Nidhi
Personal details
Born (1944-10-15) 15 October 1944 (age 80)
Tanahun, Nepal
NationalityNepali
Political partyIndependent (since 2023)
Other political
affiliations		Nepali Congress (until 2023)
Spouse(s)Savita Poudel
RelationsWife
Children5
Parent(s)Rishima (mother)
Durga Prasad (father)
OccupationPolitician

Ram Chandra Poudel (Nepali: रामचन्द्र पौडेल; born 15 October 1944) is a Nepalese politician serving as the third President of Nepal, in office since 13 March 2023.[1][2]

A former senior leader of the Nepali Congress, Poudel previously served as the speaker of the House of Representatives from 1994 to 1999, and was the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs from 1999 to 2002. First elected to parliament in 1991, he served in numerous other ministerial positions and was the Leader of Opposition from 2009 to 2013, as the parliamentary party leader of the Nepali Congress.[3]

Early life[edit]

Ram Chandra Poudel was born on 15 October 1944 in a Brahmin farming family in the remote village of Satiswara, located in the present-day Vyas municipality of Tanahun district. He completed his secondary education (SLC) from Nandi Ratri Secondary School in Kathmandu and studied Sanskrit literature at the Sanskrit University from 1963 to 1967.[4][5] He also completed a MA in Nepali literature from the Tribhuvan University in 1970, appearing in his examinations while being detained in prison for anti-Panchayat activities.[6]

Political career[edit]

Early years and student politics (1960s and 1970s)[edit]

Poudel got into politics aged just 16 when he joined the protests and movement against the dismissal of the B.P. Koirala-led government and imposition of Panchayat rule by King Mahendra in December 1960, and participated in numerous Congress-led armed struggles for the restoration of democracy in the 1960s. A key campaigner for the students’ movement in Nepal, he was elected president of the student union at the Saraswati Campus in 1967 and elected general secretary of the Democratic Socialist Youth League in 1968. Poudel took initiatives in organizing the Nepal Student Union, the Congress party’s student wing established in 1970, and was the union's founding central committee member.

Party politics (1970s – 2023)[edit]

Poudel entered into mainstream party politics in 1977, when he was elected member of the Nepali Congress Tanahun district committee. He was elected vice-president of the district committee in 1979, and president in 1980. Poudel was appointed coordinator of the Nepali Congress's Central Publicity Committee in 1983, and was appointed member of the party's central committee and chief of the party's central level publicity bureau in 1987.

Poudel was first elected to parliament from Tanahun 1 in the 1991 general election, and served as the Minister for Local Development and Agriculture from May 1991 to 1994.

In the 1994 general election, he switched seats and was elected from Tanahun 2, a seat he then held consecutively until 2017. Poudel was elected speaker of the House of Representatives following the election, and served until 1999. Following the 1999 general election, he was appointed deputy prime minister and Minister for Home Affairs, and he served in those positions until 2002.[7] Poudel was elected general secretary of the Nepali Congress following the party's general convention in 2006. He played an important role in the peace process as the coordinator of the Peace Secretariat after the end of the civil war, and served as the Minister for Peace and Reconstruction from 2007 to 2008.[7] Poudel was elected vice-president of the Nepali Congress in 2008, and defeated former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to become Congress' parliamentary party leader following the 2008 Constituent Assembly election. Poudel contested the prime ministerial election in parliament in 2010, but was not elected even after 17 rounds of election.[8] He served as the Congress party's acting president after the death of Sushil Koirala in 2016, but was defeated by Deuba in the party's 13th general convention later in the year.[9][10]

Having decided to switch back to his old seat of Tanahun 1, Poudel was defeated by Krishna Kumar Shrestha of the CPN (UML) in the 2017 general election.[11] He remained active in party politics, and was elected from Tanahun 1 in the 2022 general election.[12]

Detentions[edit]

Poudel spent over 15 years as a prisoner of conscience on various occasions, mostly for being an opponent of the panchayat system. He was detained on the following occasions:[citation needed]

  • For 10 months in 1962 in connection with the armed seize of Bharatpur by Nepali Congress.
  • For 12 months in 1964 in connection with student movements in Kathmandu.
  • For 6 months in 1966 for being involved in a movement to oust the then-Deputy inspector General of Police.
  • For 14 months in 1967 in connection with organisational activities of DSYL in Pokhara.
  • For one year in 1969 in connection with the reorganization of DSYL in western Nepal.
  • For 3 months in 1970 for being involved in the organization and inauguration of Nepal Student Union.
  • For 4 years from 1971 to 1975 for being involved in revitalizing political activities after the release of B.P. Koirala.
  • For 10 months in 1977 for being involved in the Patan Conference of the Nepali Congress, where a decision was taken to launch a civil disobedience movement (Satyagraha) for the restoration of democracy and release of its ailing leader, B.P. Koirala.
  • For 6 months in 1979 for taking a leading role in anti-Panchayat movements
  • For 6 months in 1981 in connection with the boycott of Panchayati elections.
  • For 9 months in 1985 in connection with the civil disobedience movement (Satyagraha).
  • For 3 months in 1988 on a charge of publishing a Nepali Congress organ and for breaching the Publication Act.
  • For 5 months in 1989 on a charge of organizing and inspiring people to take part in movement for restoration of democracy.
  • For about one and half years from 2003 to 2005 during the King's direct rule.

President (2023 – present)[edit]

Poudel was the candidate from Nepali Congress and its 10-party alliance for the 2023 presidential election, and was elected president on 9 March 2023, defeating former speaker Subas Chandra Nemwang of the CPN (UML).[13][14] He disassociated himself from all party responsibilities and resigned as an active member of the Nepali Congress after being elected president.[15] Poudel resigned as member of Parliament before assuming office as president on 13 March 2023.[16][17]

Personal life[edit]

Poudel is married to Savita Poudel and the couple have five children: four daughters and one son.

Publications[edit]

Poudel is an active writer and his political and theoretical affairs are frequently published in national vernaculars, including:[citation needed]

  • What Nepali Congress Says (1976)
  • Satyagraha – Why and How (1984)
  • Democratic Socialism – A study (1990)
  • Journey of Faith (1996)
  • Abhisapta Itihas (2004)
  • Socialism – In New Context (2012)
  • Agricultural Revolution and Socialism (2013)

Poudel received the Mahendra Bikram Shah Prize for an article titled "Human Rights Condition in Nepal" in 1987.[6]

Honors[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ "Ram Chandra Paudel is new President". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  2. ↑ "Ram Chandra Paudel is the new president of Nepal - OnlineKhabar English News". Online Khabar. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023. Archived 2023-03-09 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ "Paudel caps his career with presidency". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "१४ वर्षको बन्दी जीवनदेखि राष्ट्रपतिसम्म". GorakhaPatra. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  5. ↑ रासस (14 June 2021). "संस्कृत भाषाको पुनर्जागरण गर्नुपर्छः रामचन्द्र पौडेल". देशसञ्चार. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "वामपन्थी राजनीति छाडेर कांग्रेसमा होमिएका रामचन्द्र, यस्तो छ बेलथुम्कीदेखि शीतलनिवाससम्मको यात्रा :: शिलापत्र संवाददाता :: Shilapatra शिलापत्र - खबरको स्थायी ठेगाना". shilapatra.com. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Ram Chandra Paudel elected new President of Nepal". The Annapurna Express. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  8. ↑ "Ram Chandra Paudel Failed to Become Nepal Prime Minister 17 Times, But Won President Polls in First Attempt". News18. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  9. ↑ "Koirala's death sparks leadership tussle in Nepali Congress". Hindustan Times. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  10. ↑ Times, The Himalayan (7 March 2016). "Sher Bahadur Deuba elected Nepali Congress president". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  11. ↑ Sen, Sandeep (10 December 2017). "NC senior leader Poudel defeated in Tanahun 1". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  12. ↑ Republica. "NC leader Paudel elected as HoR member from Tanahun-1". My Republica. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  13. ↑ "Eight political parties to support Congress candidate in presidential election". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  14. ↑ "Nepal elects new president amid political uncertainty". AP NEWS. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  15. ↑ Republica. "President-elect Paudel separates himself from party responsibilities". My Republica. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  16. ↑ "President Paudel resigns as HoR member". Khabarhub. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  17. ↑ Republica. "President Paudel assumes his office, resigns from the post of HoR member". My Republica. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  18. ↑ "Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel to receive Japanese honours". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 12 February 2021. Archived 2021-03-10 at the Wayback Machine

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by
Bidya Devi Bhandari 		President of Nepal
2023–present 		Incumbent

Template:Heads of State of Nepal Template:Heads of state of republics Template:Current Socialist rulers

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