Bidhya Bhandari was elected as Nepal's first woman president today, after the adoption of a landmark constitution last month.
Ms Bhandari, currently the vice-chair of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), defeated her opponent Kul Bahadur Gurung of the Nepali Congress by securing 327 to 214 votes to become the Himalayan nation's ceremonial head of state.
She is the second person to hold the mainly ceremonial role.
The 54-year-old is currently the vice-chair of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist).
Ms Bhandari was defence minister from 2009 to 2011. As president, she has promised to champion minority and women's rights in Nepal.
According to parliament officials, 549 of the total 597 lawmakers took part in the election. Forty-eight others including those from Madhesi parties protesting against the new constitution abstained.
Bhandari, who was elected a month after the country adopted the statute, will replace Ram Baran Yadav, Nepal’s first head of state after monarchy was abolished in 2008.
A communist with over three decades of political experience since her student days, Bhandari had withdrawn from active politics after getting married to CPN-UML general secretary Madan Bhandari.
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