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Leaders have agreed to move ahead by further strengthening the ruling alliance. During a meeting of the high-level political mechanism held in Baluwatar on Sunday, leaders have agreed to further strengthen the ruling alliance, Deputy Prime Minister and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden said. “The government’s performance was reviewed in the meeting today. It has been agreed to move forward by cooperating with each other and to give continuity to the meeting,” he said. He was of the opinion that the government will move ahead as per the past agreement. Lingden further said that a discussion was also held to bring the Rastriya Swatantra Party in the government.    

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has expressed her belief that the federal and provincial governments will work by focusing on the welfare of the country. Addressing both the Houses of federal Parliament, President Bhandari said that the people’s representatives will carry out their works in a way that fulfills the hope, trust and faith of the people. During her address, she congratulated all the newly elected lawmakers of the House of Representatives and wished for successful tenure. In addition to that, President Bhandari thanked Nepal government, Election Commission, civil servants, political parties and voters for conducting the elections to the House of Representatives and Province Assembly in a peaceful way.

A meeting of the high-level political mechanism held on Friday discussed contemporary political issues among others. During the meeting held in Baluwatar this morning, the leaders discussed contemporary political issues, giving full shape to the government and presidential election to be held on March 9. On the occasion, the leaders of the mechanism urged the Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane to join the government again. Albeit the RSP has left the government, it has not withdrawn the support extended to the government. CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden were present in the meeting. Leaders of Janata Samajbadi Party, Nagarik Unmukti Party and Janamat Party, who are in the mechanism, did not take part in the meeting. The exit of Rastriya Swatantra Party from the government and the Nagarik Unmukti Party not giving a vote of confidence to the Sudurpaschim Province government shows that there is a dispute within the ruling coalition. The senior leaders also discussed the ways to resolve the issue.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra is arriving in Kathmandu on a two-day official visit to Nepal on Monday. He is visiting Nepal at the invitation of Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal. According to a source, Kwatra, India's former envoy to Nepal, is visiting Nepal to fix the date and agenda of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s India visit. This will be the first stand alone visit of the Foreign Secretary to Nepal since he assumed charge. "The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and the priority India attaches to its relations with Nepal under its 'Neighbourhood First' Policy," read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs of Government of India. During the visit, the two Foreign Secretaries will hold discussions on the entire range of multifaceted cooperation between India and Nepal. India has historical and civilizational linkages with Nepal and bilateral cooperation between the two countries has strengthened in the recent years, with several major infrastructure and cross-border connectivity projects completed with India's assistance, the statement read. "This will be an opportunity to further advance out bilateral ties," the statement further read.