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Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane has clarified that his party is not making any preparations to join the government immediately. Talking to journalists here today, he said that they are busy evaluating the contemporary situation of the country. "We are not making any preparations to join the government but are busy assessing the evolving situation", he noted. "There is no internal discussion in the party whether or not to join the incumbent government", he added. The President admitted that the political exercise of his party was in the formative stage. On a query about their future move when RSP has not withdrawn its support to the government, he said that the party would discuss this issue in the meeting.  

The Election Commission will publish the final name list of the candidates vying for the election to the post of Vice-President by 5 pm today. Four people have filed their nominations for the election and the Office of the Election Commissioner is scheduled to publish the final name list today. According to the Office, prior to the publication of the name list, some procedures such as assessment of the nominations and complaints filed over them, publication of the preliminary name list, and withdrawal of candidacy will take place. The election of the Vice-President is taking place on March 17. Earlier, the Election Commission directed the election officers to ensure the registration of nominations that are different from the gender or community of the newly elected President.

Various political parties have started a protest expressing dissatisfaction over the naming of Province 1. Normal life in Sunsari, Morang and Jhapa districts has been affected due a bandh enforced by the Janata Samajbadi Party and Federal Limbuwan Party among others. Markets and shops pulled down their shutters from early morning in the districts while vehicles stayed off the roads. Janata Samajbadi Party central member Bhim Rai said that they were forced to enforce the bandh after their identity movement was ignored by naming Province 1 as Koshi Province forcefully. Janata Samajbadi Party another leader Sagar Chemjong has warned of stern protests if their demands are not addressed. The parties have mobilized hundreds of cadres on the streets to make bandh successful. Province 1 officially adopted Koshi as its new name on March 1.  

The Supreme Court has issued a show cause order in the two writ petitions filed against CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Giving a priority to the writ petitions, a single bench of Justice Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada on Friday issued the show cause order in the name of Dahal to furnish a written clarification within 15 days, Supreme Court spokesperson Bimal Paudel said. Advocates Gyanendra Raj Aran and Kalyan Budhathoki had filed writ petitions against Dahal. The duo filed separate writs at the Supreme Court demanding a criminal investigation and action against Dahal over war-era cases. While addressing a program held on January 15, 2020, Dahal had said that out of 17, 000 people killed in the Maoist insurgency, 5,000 were killed by the Maoist and he would take the responsibility for it. Aran and Budhathoki had tried to file petitions demanding that the court issue an order to arrest Dahal and punish him for taking the responsibility for 5,000 deaths, but the court administration had refused to do so, claiming that the issue was related to transitional justice. Earlier on Friday, a division bench of Justice Ishwor Khatiwada and Hari Prasad Phuyal ordered the Supreme Court administration to take petitions against Dahal. Then rebels had kidnapped and murdered advocate Aran’s father Tilakraj. Similarly, advocate Budhathoki’s father was displaced. The Supreme Court’s decision has rattled Prime Minister Dahal and his party. They are crying foul over what they say is a conspiracy to corner them by bringing up the conflict-era cases, which ought to be dealt by the transitional justice commissions.