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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.  

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has reiterated that the government has the policy of empowering women and their capacity building. Addressing a program organized by the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens to mark the 113th International Women's Day today, he said the state would accord priority to women empowerment and capacity development. PM Dahal said there has been an improvement in the status of women in terms of their reproductive health, education and other aspects, and that the government would facilitate in promoting women-friendly information technology, create a safe environment for women who are working in foreign countries and help them in case of any problems. "The constitution and laws have made significant and historical provisions for women's rights. Women are in the leadership position from the local level to the Head-of-State. The country is moving ahead in achieving equal political, social and economic rights for women," said PM Dahal. Noting that the Constitution has enshrined women's rights as the fundamental rights, he said the policy, legal and institutional structures have been improving. He recalled that the women's overwhelming participation in the People's Movement proved their capacity and political awareness. Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said the International Women's Day has been celebrated as a symbol of solidarity, struggle and victory, and that the State has been making maximum efforts for enabling the women to lead a dignified life. She opined that although the constitution and the laws ensured women's right to parental property, there is a challenge to transforming that into full practice. The Communication and Information Technology Minister said women have not been able to use information technology in the right manner despite its rapid development in recent years. She stressed on making the technology women-friendly. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairperson Tapa Bahadur Magar said the NHRC has carried out a multi-sector study on women rights and it has been receiving complaints on violence against women, monitoring women's rights and recommending to the government for action on the perpetrators. National Women Commission member Bidya Kumari Sinha said the Commission is active in protecting the rights and interests of women. Expert member at the Ministry Sabin Shrestha on the occasion presented a working paper entitled 'Journey of Gender Equality in Nepal'. The working paper states that women participation in foreign service, judicial service and security bodies has been increasing over the years in Nepal. The Shakti Group presented a dance carrying the message that women can work and are capable in every sector. The 113th International Women's Day (March 8) is being celebrated around the world on Wednesday with the slogan 'DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality'.  

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.