Nepal parliament set to elect new president this week

Nepal's lawmakers are expected to vote for a new president this week after political parties failed to agree Sunday on a candidate, the parliament's spokesman said.

 The legislature is scheduled to vote on Wednesday for a replacement for Ram Baran Yadav as ceremonial head of state, as required under the new constitution adopted last month.

 "The deadline for a consensus candidate today passed without a nomination, so an election will be held on Wednesday," parliament spokesman Bharat Gautam reportedly said.

 Yadav was elected as the impoverished nation's first president in 2008 following the abolition of the 240-year-old Hindu monarchy.

 He was initially supposed to hold office for only two years. But years of political wrangling delayed the preparation of and agreement on a new constitution, which was only finally adopted last month.

 As required by the new charter, parliament also this month elected a new prime minister,  KP Sharma Oli, who is tasked with unifying the earthquake-hit country.

 Candidates for the post of president will have to register by Tuesday afternoon.

 The constitution, the first drawn up by elected representatives, is aimed at bolstering the Himalayan country's transformation to a peaceful democracy after decades of political instability and a civil war.

 After years of bickering about the charter, the quake that hit the country in April spurred the main political parties into agreement.

 But the charter has also sparked deadly protests and a blockade at a vital border checkpoint, cutting off fuel supplies from sole provider India and triggering a nationwide shortage.