Nepal Maoists suffer presidential blow

Yadav, a former health minister and trained medical doctor, told AFP he would use his new position to try to unite Nepal and address grievances among the country’s ethnic communities.

“The immediate need of the nation is to address the lack of a fair political culture,” said the 61-year-old Yadav, a son of a farmer. “I want all Nepalese to join hands in harmony and move ahead in the development of the country.”

The Nepali Congress party said the outcome of the vote showed how democratic the country’s new political system was.

“We are very happy that a common man’s son has become the first president of republic Nepal. Yadav is not of the Nepali Congress, but of all the people of Nepal,” said the party’s general secretary, Bimalendra Nidhi.