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The silence period is to commence from Tuesday midnight for the local election scheduled to take place on coming May 13.

According to the Election Commission of Nepal, the silence period will begin 48 hours before the polling day and remain till the voting centers are closed. The Election Commission has informed that voting arrangement has been made from 7.00 am to 5.00 pm on the polling day.

As per the election code of conduct enforced by the EC, the publicity materials of any political parties or candidates put up around 300-meter perimeter of polling centers should be removed before the commencement of silence period. The office-bearers and candidates of the political parties and sister-wings of the parties as well as the concerned individuals should abide by the election code of conduct during the silence period.

EC Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel informed that there would be no election publicity, debate, interaction, assembly, workshop/seminar during the silence period. Likewise, candidates and political parties are prohibited to solicit votes from voters on any of the medium during the period.

The code of conduct also prohibited the concerned people and parties to post any message, information and publicity materials on social media, online, print and other medium in support of any political parties and candidates. All publicity related activities will remain closed during silence period and the EC has mobilized a 18-member team under the leadership of a Joint Secretary.

Likewise, there is a mechanism under Chief Officer in the district for monitoring while a mechanism is placed under Returning Officer leadership at Palika level. The EC can penalize up to Rs 100,000 to those violating election code of conduct during silence period. Also, the EC has authority to terminate the candidacy of the candidate in case of code violation, he shared.

The Election Commission has sought clarification from five journalists for violating the election code of conduct.

The journalists have been asked to submit their response within 24 hours.

The EC has asked clarification from Chairman of Nepal Press Union Badri Sigdel, Chairman of Press Centre Nepal Bishnu Sapkota, Chairman of Socialist Press Organisation Shambhu Shrestha, Chairman of Press Forum Nepal Keshav Aryal and Secretary of Progressive Journalists' Association Shyamlal Pokharel.

The EC stated that an appeal to the voters made by the five journalists asking vote for the candidates of the five-party left-democratic alliance was against the Election Code of Conduct, 2021.

Clause 22 of the Election Code of Conduct, 2021 has stated that journalists and employees working in media houses should not publish and broadcast news in favour of and against any candidate.

The Yale University Art Gallery, Connecticut, USA is to return the stone statue of Tara/Parvati of the 9th century to Nepal. The stone was kept in the permanent collection of the Gallery.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Nepali Consulate General in New York and Yale University Art Gallery on Friday to return the statue to Nepal, said the Consulate General.

The sculpture had gone missing from the Birbhadreshwar Mahadev Temple at Golmadi in Bhaktapur in 2032 BS.

It was reportedly donated to the Yale University Art Gallery by a donor seven years ago.

Separate investigations were conducted by the gallery and Nepal’s Department of Archaeology to ensure whether the statue belonged to Nepal.

The Consulate General in New York will return the sculpture to Nepal in coordination with the Art Gallery and the Department of Archeology.

The Nepali Congress (NC) has started taking action against the candidates, who have filed candidacies against the official candidates of the party as well as candidates supported by the NC in the local level elections scheduled for May 13, their proposers and supporters.

The party has been collecting details of such persons as such candidates, proposers and supporters would be removed from the party membership as well as would be expelled from the party for five years automatically as per the party’s statute.

Issuing a press release, NC Chief Secretary Krishna Prasad Poudel mentioned that the party’s Disciplinary Committee with the help of the party’s candidates at the local level could immediately expel rebel candidates, their proposers and supports, those involved in the publicity of candidates of other parties from membership during the election period.

He also requested all members of the party to involve actively in favour of official candidates of the party and candidates supported by the party to make them victorious in the election.

The NC has directed the district working committees to send the name list of rebel candidates, their proposers and supports as well as authorized and verified details of the final name list of candidates, proposers and supporters published by the Election Commission at the centre.

CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN (Unified Socialist), Nepali Congress and CPN-UML cadres clashed at Madi Rural Municipality-3, Talabang in Rolpa on Wednesday.

NC Ward-3 chairman candidate Min Bahadur Dangi was injured in the scuffle that was ensued when NC cadres were returning home after attending the electoral assembly at Talabang Bazaar.

Dangi was lethally attacked with an iron rod, said NC Constituency-2 President Gopal Gharti. Seriously injured Dangi was taken to Dang for further treatment.

Gharti accused that a group of people took the vehicle carrying Dangi under control and attacked him with the sharp-edged rod.

Secretary of Maoist Centre’s Madi rural municipality Bir Bahadur Gharti said they had retaliated against the targeted attack against their cadres.

Information Officer at District Police Office, Yaman GC shared that police reached the site immediately after the incident. “Situation now is normal”, he added.

The United States of America is to provide $ 659 million (equivalent to Rs 79.71 billion) to Nepal for supporting its goal of graduating to a middle-income country.

Ishwori Prasad Aryal, Joint Secretary and Head of International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division (IECCD), Ministry of Finance and Ms. Sepideh Keyvanshad, USAID/Nepal Mission Director, signed and exchanged the agreement on behalf their respective governments at a programme organized at the Ministry today.

Termed as new Development Objective Agreement, this assistance agreement will span five years. It outlines the broad development areas of US and Nepal cooperation and collaboration.

Partnering with the Government of Nepal, civil society, and the private sector, US assistance will advance Nepal's sustainable development through strengthened democratic governance, enterprise-driven economic growth and increased resilience for communities most at-risk to natural disasters and climate change.

The amount of assistance will be recorded in the GoN Red Book and transparently implemented through both on and off treasury modalities. USAID will develop projects under this assistance agreement in collaboration with line ministries and implemented in accordance with GoN rules and regulations.

Delivering a short remark following the signing ceremony, Aryal expressed, "In 1951, after signing the Point Four program, the United States became the first bilateral donor to Nepal. This began a 70 plus year relationship of trust, mutual respect, and commitment to the people of Nepal."

He further added that Nepal has greatly benefited from the financial and technical assistance extended by the United States to help drive Nepal's socioeconomic development. He expressed that the Assistance Agreement as a departure agreement for both governments due to the fact that, for the first time in this enduring partnership, US assistance will be fully reflected in GoN's Red Book.

Similarly, Keyvanshad noted, "Today we add a new chapter to our long-standing partnership with the Government of Nepal and the Nepali people. We look forward to continuing the US government's long-term commitment to support activities that strengthen Nepal's democracy, governance, and economic growth across the country."

This year, the United States government and the Government of Nepal are celebrating 75 years of bilateral relationship. The Government of Nepal expresses its sincere appreciation to the Government of the United States of America for its invariable support in socioeconomic development and advancements of human resources of Nepal. Both governments acknowledge the partnership has seen many successes and look forward to continuing in the spirit of strong collaboration, the Ministry of Finance and the USAID said in a joint press release.

CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the alliance forged among the ruling parties for the local elections slated for May 13 would secure a win.

Talking to media persons briefly at Bharatpur Airport on Thursday, the former Prime Minister said any eligible citizen was free to file an independent candidacy in the elections and the results will be relied on the people’s choice.

It may be noted that party central member and Dahal’s daughter Renu Dahal is the mayoral candidate of Bharatpur Metropolitan City on behalf of the alliance which is organising an election mass meeting here today. Renu will be competing for the post for her second term.

Prime Minister and major ruling Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba and senior leader Ramchandra Poudel have already been in the town to address the election gathering.

The World Bank is to provide a loan $150 million (approximately Rs. 18.36 billion) to strengthen the financial sector of Nepal.

The loan under the title of Finance for Growth and Development Policy Credit is being provided to help diversify financial solutions and increase access to financial services in Nepal.

A bilateral agreement to this end was signed here on Wednesday by Finance Secretary Madhu Kumar Marasini and World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka Faris Hadad-Zervos, on behalf of the World Bank.

Speaking on the occasion, Finance Secretary Marasini said that the major priorities of the country at present are guided by the objective of achieving sustainable and inclusive growth, as reflected in the Financial Sector Development Strategy (2078-2082). The strategy focuses on addressing the risks of COVID-19 and climate change, as well as bringing digital payments and financial inclusion into the mainstream,” he said.

The support is expected to help supervision of the banking sector to address the risks of financial stability in the face of the COVID-19 epidemic. It will also help open up capital, insurance, and disaster risk financial markets and promote the latest financial services.

It will also support initiatives to increase the liquidity and inclusion of the economy through access to external business lending, financial digitization and financial literacy for women. The project will also help improve the functioning of the financial sector.

The project will support Nepal’s green and inclusive growth as well as launch a new climate agenda by supporting climate finance upliftment policies in various sectors.

Country Director of the World Bank Zervos expressed confidence that the project would further contribute to the government’s policies and priorities to mitigate the adverse effects of the epidemic by supporting the financial sector reforms with an expanded climate-resilience agenda in the financial market.