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The Rastriya Swatantra Party has decided to vote for Ram Chandra Paudel in the presidential election. A meeting of the party held on Thursday made the decision to this effect. The party, however, did not make the decision public due to the election code of conduct. The RSP Chief Whip Santosh Pariyar said that the party has decided to vote for a person who plays a role to strengthen the democracy and to protect the system. The Rastriya Swatantra Party has 19 lawmakers. Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel and CPN-UML Vice-Chairman Subash Nembang are vying for the post of President. The voting for the election is underway at the Parliament building in New Baneshwor. The counting of votes will start soon after the completion of voting.

The government has decided to register the bill formulated to amend the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons Act, 2071 (2014) in the House of Representatives today. A Cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister’s office in Singhadurbar made the decision to this effect, the PM’s media expert Manohari Timilsina said. Meanwhile, Justice Bishwamber Prasad Shrestha’s bench will hear the writ petitions filed against CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. A preliminary hearing will be conducted today in the writ petitions registered by advocate duo Gyanendra Raj Aran and Kalyan Budhathoki against Dahal for claiming the responsibility of 5, 000 Maoist-insurgence era deaths three years ago.  

Justice Bishwamber Prasad Shrestha’s bench will hear the writ petitions filed against CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The Supreme Court administration said that Shrestha’s bench will hear the writs. A preliminary hearing will be conducted today in the writ petitions registered by advocate duo Gyanendra Raj Aran and Kalyan Budhathoki against Dahal for claiming the responsibility of 5, 000 Maoist-insurgence era deaths three years ago. During 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. The advocate duo filed writ petitions demanding that the court order Dahal's arrest 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.      

Voting to elect a new President of Nepal has begun at the Parliament building in New Baneshwor amid tight security and surveillance. Voting that started at 10 am will end at 3 pm, said assistant returning officer Amrita Kumari Sharma. Separate polling stations have been designated for the voters in the Lhotse chamber in the Parliament Building. Ram Chandra Paudel of the Nepali Congress and Subash Chandra Nembang of the CPN-UML are vying for the coveted position. Paudel, former Speaker, has been supported by the recently formed nine-party alliance. Nembang had served as the Chairperson of the then Constituent Assembly. According to the Constitution of Nepal, a President will be elected, and the President is entrusted with the responsibility to protect and abide by the Constitution, and promote national unity. The country entered the presidential system following the establishment of the republic through the 2062/63 movements. The electoral college comprises the members of the Federal Parliament and Province Assemblies. There are a total of 882 eligible voters in the federal Parliament (the House of Representatives and the National Assembly) and the Province Assembly (332 under the Federal Parliament and 550 under the Province Assembly). The federal Parliament has 79 weighted votes, and the Province Assembly 48. According to the Constitution, no person shall be elected to the Office of President more than twice.