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The International Republican Institute (IRI), a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to advancing democracy and freedom globally, is deploying a delegation of international election observers to Kathmandu, Nepal, from March 1 to 7, 2026, to assess the conduct of the March 5 House of Representatives election.

This high-level mission, comprised of international policy and elections experts, will arrive in Kathmandu on March 1 to meet with a broad range of stakeholders, including the Election Commission, political parties, Interim Government officials, and civic organizations from across the Nepali political spectrum.

“Nepal’s House of Representatives election will be a critical test of whether its young democracy can respond to citizens’ demands for accountability, generational renewal, and more responsive governance,” said Steve Cima, IRI’s Resident Program Director for Asia-Pacific.  “The outcome will help determine whether the country can restore public trust in its institutions and move toward greater political stability.”

The delegation’s report, which will offer an impartial assessment of the quality and conduct of electoral processes, including thematic findings and recommendations from the pre-election period and election day administration, will be released in the weeks following the elections.

Since 1983, IRI has organized over 270 international election observation missions worldwide, earning a reputation for objectivity and professionalism. The mission will conduct its activities in accordance with the laws of Nepal and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and the Code of Conduct adopted by the United Nations in 2005. All activities will be conducted on a strictly nonpartisan basis and without interfering in the electoral process.

Holi, one of the major festivals observed in Nepal, is being celebrated in the hilly parts of the country today.

The festival of goodwill and harmony will be celebrated in Tarai tomorrow.

Also called Phagu Poornima, people celebrate this festival by smearing colorful powders and throwing colored water at each other while dancing and singing.

People of all ages, old and young as well as children participate in the festival.

Since age-old times, the Holi festival has been observed as a celebration of the victory of truth over falsehood.

As it is celebrated by one and all, the Holi festival has contributed to minimizing inequality and discrimination in the society.

Meanwhile, President Ram Chandra Paudel has wished that the Holi festival provides further inspiration to eradicate various types of distortions, anomalies and evil customs existing in the society, to protect and promote the indigenous culture and to maintain mutual harmony in the country.

President Paudel said that the Holi festival, which is celebrated with joy and happiness to celebrate the victory of truth over falsehood, justice over injustice, virtue over vice, and religion over unrighteousness, has a tradition of renouncing enmity and expressing goodwill and having fun with relatives and friends by applying colors and paints to each other with love and intimacy.

Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav, National Assembly Chairperson Narayan Prasad Dahal, former President Bidya Devi Bhandari, former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, and other leaders have, in separate statements, also extended their best wishes to all those celebrating the festival today and tomorrow.

The Democratic Hotel Entrepreneurs Association (DHEA) has said that it will provide food and accommodation to the passengers stranded at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) following the suspension of flights to various destinations in the Middle East in the aftermath of tensions rising in the region. 

DHEA President Lila Prasad Dhakal said that they have made arrangements for food and accommodation for the stranded air passengers at the airport.

"In accordance with the objective that everyone should help any Nepali in difficulty, under the guidance of Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa, we, the hotel entrepreneurs, have made this decision and arranged for food and accommodation to the stranded passengers at TIA," he said.

The Association has also urged travellers in difficulty to contact it for help. DHEA is an affiliated organization of the Nepali Congress.

Dust, mud and frequent traffic congestion have made daily travel along the Suryabinayak–Sanga road section increasingly difficult for commuters. Rohit Shrestha, 26 was travelling with his grandmother in a scooter when the tire slipped and they fell in the muddy road at Sanga. He said that the road has been in a very poor state for some time, but he hopes to see it being constructed soon. In the same way, local shopkeepers say dust has affected business and have caused health issues too due to dust, while commuters complain about traffic jams during peak hours.

Ranjana Siwakoti, a regular public bus commuter, says the ongoing road construction has made daily travel exhausting. She said it now takes around 15 to 20 minutes to reach Suryabinayak from Jagati—a short stretch that previously required far less time. According to her, traffic congestion, dusty conditions and uneven road surfaces have made the journey increasingly difficult for passengers.

These commuting challenges are largely due to the ongoing expansion of the 16-kilometer Suryabinayak–Dhulikhel section of the Araniko Highway, which began in January 2023. The project aims to widen the road into six lanes and has been divided into two sections—Suryabinayak–Sanga and Sanga–Dhulikhel. Progress in the Sanga–Dhulikhel stretch has been faster compared to the Suryabinayak–Sanga section.

Engineers say delays in the Suryabinayak–Sanga section were mainly due to house demolitions, relocation of utilities, intersection management and the dismantling of structures built against road setback rules.

Officials explained that a provision requiring space to be left while constructing houses was introduced in 1975 during the construction of the Araniko Highway. Houses built without following the protocol had to be removed, and since many were on private property, coordination with owners and authorities took additional time. Some structures still remain, requiring further coordination at different government levels. Authorities, however, say the project can meet its deadline if work continues at the current pace and resources are mobilized smoothly.

Currently, in the Suryabinayak–Sanga section, one lane is being layered with Cement Treated Base, which will be followed by a crack relief layer, Dense Bituminous Macadam and finally asphalt. According to Pradeep Tamang, engineer at the Department of Roads, work on the left lane has also been started from Suryabinayak. He added that currently, the project employs 110 human resources.

Tamang said there had been some budget-related issues in the past, but authorities are now providing additional funds. Rs 60m had been allocated for the current fiscal year, which was considered insufficient. The project has now requested an additional Rs 4bn to continue the work smoothly. He expressed hope that similar financial support will continue in the coming days to ensure steady progress of the project. He also acknowledged that local residents have faced several difficulties due to the construction work and said efforts are being made to complete the project smoothly and at a faster pace with the support of local authorities. He added that preparations are underway for the rainy season, noting that there are only three to four effective working months left for fiscal year 2025/26, and planning is being done accordingly.

According to Anju Pariyar, information officer at the Department of Roads, the Suryabinayak–Sanga section of the project was originally contracted on 8 March 2023, with a deadline of 7 March 2026, which was later extended to 13 March 2027 to accommodate delays. Similarly, the Sanga–Dhulikhel section, initially scheduled to be completed by 12 Dec 2025, was extended to Dec 2026 to allow for ongoing construction challenges.

Tamang said the team is prioritizing measures to reduce dust and mud, especially during the monsoon. Roads are being blacktopped as quickly as possible, and in sections where black topping cannot be completed on time, gravel will be laid to minimize dust and mud without damaging the existing pavement.

Pariyar said that bridges along the route will also be upgraded. “Three existing bridges within the 8-kilometer stretch—at Jagati, Mahadev Khola and Punya Mata Khola—will be redeveloped as part of the expansion,” she said. The work has been awarded under a separate contract to the Hindu Focus–Ramjanaki JV, following a design-and-build modality. Surveying and preparatory work are currently underway.

The 15.8-kilometer road expansion is being carried out under two separate contracts. Of the total stretch, the Suryabinayak–Sanga section has recorded partial progress, while the Sanga–Dhulikhel segment has achieved relatively higher physical progress. Lama Construction Company has been awarded the contract for the Sanga–Dhulikhel section of the road expansion project. Meanwhile, the Suryabinayak–Sanga section has been contracted to the Ashish–Kumar Shrestha–Bandan Bhagawati JV.

The project involves widening the 16-kilometer Suryabinayak–Dhulikhel section of the Araniko Highway into a six-lane road. The 7.5 kilometer Suryabinayak–Sanga stretch was awarded at a contract cost of Rs 3.8bn, while the 8.5 kilometre Sanga–Dhulikhel section was contracted for Rs 4.5bn. Despite financial constraints that caused delays, key infrastructure works such as retaining walls, drainage systems and culverts have already been completed.

Once the highway expansion is completed, the travel time from Kathmandu to Dhulikhel is expected to be reduced to approximately 30 minutes in total, significantly improving connectivity and easing traffic flow. Construction activities are currently ongoing in both sections. Meanwhile, 95 percent of retaining wall and drain construction has been completed. About two kilometres of the Sanga–Dhulikhel section has already been paved.

Overall, the Suryabinayak–Dhulikhel road expansion project has achieved around 45 percent physical development, with the Sanga–Dhulikhel section progressing faster than the Suryabinayak–Sanga stretch. Authorities say that, if work continues at the current pace and resources are mobilized effectively, the project can meet its target completion by deadline. If completed on time, the six-lane highway is expected to significantly ease traffic congestion, reduce travel time and improve safety for thousands of daily commuters.