Submit your Article

The Rastriya Swatantra Party has said that it will take a decision on the presidential election only on Thursday. Party Vice-President Dol Prasad Aryal said that the party will take a necessary decision on the presidential election by holding a meeting tomorrow. Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel and CPN-UML Vice-Chairman Subash Nembang are vying for the post of President slated for tomorrow. Voting for the election will begin from 10 am and end at 3 pm.  

Foreign Minister Qin Gang rejected claims that the Belt and Road Initiative has resulted in debt traps, saying that the initiative has evolved from vision into reality, boosted development in partner countries and delivered tangible benefits to their people, China Daily reported. Speaking at a news conference on the sidelines of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress, Qin said the BRI, through a decade of efforts, have laid down a pathway toward common development and created an array of national landmarks, livelihood projects and milestones of cooperation. "China should be the last one to be accused of the so-called debt trap. Data show that multilateral financial institutions and commercial creditors account for over 80 percent of the sovereign debt of developing countries," he said. The unprecedented interest rate hikes by the US have led to massive capital outflows in many countries and worsened the debt problems of countries concerned, he added, according to China Daily. Beijing will continue to participate constructively in the resolution of international debts issues, he said, adding that China has been making efforts to help countries in distress and is the biggest contributor to the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative. "We call on other parties to act together and share the burden fairly. When parties sit together and talk things through, there will be more solutions than problems," he said. He added that Beijing will host the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation this year, and the nation will take this opportunity and work with all parties for more fruitful outcomes from Belt and Road cooperation.

A meeting of eight political parties in the ruling coalition has directed their lawmakers to reach Kathmandu by Wednesday. The meeting held at the office of the Congress Parliamentary Party in Singhadurbar directed the lawmakers to reach Kathmandu by 11 am tomorrow, Janata Samajbadi Party leader Rajendra Shrestha said. House of Representatives, National Assembly and Province Assembly lawmakers have to reach Kathmandu by tomorrow. Talking to journalists after the meeting, Nepali Congress Vice-President Purna Bahadur Khadka said that the meeting focused on the presidential election and strengthening the alliance. The election has been scheduled for March 9. The eight parties have fielded Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel as their common candidate while CPN-UML has made its leader Subash Chandra Nembang the presidential candidate.  

Speaker Devraj Ghimire has said women's participation in main bodies of the state is ensured due to provisions of the Constitution of Nepal, promulgated from the Constituent Assembly. At a program organized by Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN) on the occasion of the 113th International Women's Day here today, Speaker Ghimire mentioned that at last 33 per cent women representatives have reached the position of making laws due to constitutional provision. Stating that there was a need of much work for women's rights, he laid emphasis on long-term management and mobilization of natural resources for economic prosperity. Speaker Ghimire expressed the view that all should play a role from their places to make laws lacking for the protection and promotion of forest and environment and to implement the existing laws as well as to face challenges surfaced in this sector. Saying FECOFUN has played a significant role in development of women leadership, Chair Bharati Pathak pointed out the need of carrying out activities for financial independence of women in the coming days. FECOFUN General-Secretary Birsha Bahadur Shahi, Secretary Thakur Bhandari and Executive Director Dr Sita Aryal shed light on the FECOFUN's activities. On the occasion, incumbent members of the House of Representatives and Province Assembly, who were affiliated to FECOFUN in the past, were honored.