EC issues directive for fitting CC cameras at all vote counting stations

 The Election Commission (EC) has made arrangements for compulsorily installing close-circuit camera (CC camera) at the vote counting station in all the 753 local levels for the purpose of the local election.

According to the EC, the Cc cameras have been managed aimed at preventing unwarranted activities during the vote counting and thereby reducing disputes. Moreover, installation of CC cameras at the vote counting stations will ensure transparency in vote counting and make it secure. It will also be useful for the purpose of electronic archiving in case any dispute arises in course of the vote counting. The EC had, through the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, sent a circular to all the local levels in that connection. EC spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel said the CC cameras would be installed in all the local levels by today or tomorrow. The devices have been set up at total 350 local levels before this. The EC has instructed 50 local levels that had installed CC cameras not compatible to its VMS system on their own to manage CC cameras that are compatible to the system. They have been directed to carry out this task by May 12. The constitutional body with the responsibility of conducting elections has issued this directive to the District administration Office and the local level election officers. Arrangements have been made so that the situation at all the vote counting stations can be directly observed from the EC's office at Bahadur Bhawan in Kathmandu. The EC believes that doing this will enhance the credibility of the election and help prevent any unwarranted activities during the vote counting.

Dahal defines local poll as struggle progressive versus regressive forces

 

CPN (Maoist Center) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has dubbed the upcoming local level elections slated for May 13 a struggle between progressive and regressive forces.

In a message today, he urged people not to take the May 13 elections just as a general event and called for a massive public support for making the party and electoral alliance candidates victorious in the election. “May the upcoming elections be a milestone for decentralization of governance and for building a prosperous Nepal along with the guarantee of social justice,” the leader of one of the government coalition parties said. The leader claimed that forces who are against federalism, inclusive proportional representation and the rights of suppressed and neglected community were conspiring against the constitution and the historic achievements. “People are yet to feel the presence of federalism, inclusion, proportional representatives and social justice as wished by them and there is a challenge for us to achieve social justice through the achievement of development, health, education and employment opportunities based on local needs by empowering local levels,” he said. According to him, people could not feel the presence of democracy in real sense until subsidy-based agricultural production, pension for farmers, jobs from industrialization and rural sufficiency economy, elimination of all sorts of discrimination and exploitation and discouragement of remittance-based economy are ensured.

Local people kill leopard in Syangja village

Local people today morning killed a leopard after it started attacking people at Kyakmi Kothok village in Harinas Rural Municipality in Syangja district.

The wild beast attacked local resident Durga Bahadur Gotame when the locals tried to chase it away as it was lurking into a bush in the village, said a local Resham Gotame. Injured Durga Bahadur has sustained ear, head and hand injuries. He was referred to Bhimad for further treatment.

Local people killed the animal with a woodblock. After being informed, the police and forest officer at the Area Forest Office reached the incident site and efforts were underway to transport the dead leopard to the Division Forest Office, Syangja after completing the paperwork, it has been said. The dead female leopard was 1.6 meters in length, 52 centimeters in height and 15 kilograms in weight.

NC's victory needed for prosperous Nepal: Gagan Thapa

Nepali Congress (NC) general secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa has said a victory of Nepali Congress in the upcoming local elections was necessary to realise the dream for a prosperous Nepal.

Thapa who is also the coordinator for the NC local-level elections manifesto drafting committee argued that time demanded the NC leadership for facilitating for the effective enforcement of the citizen’s fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution, for the establishment of a rule of law and for proper utilization of available resources. He was speaking at a discussion programme organised by the Democratic Thought Society today, focusing on the party’s resolution in view of the May 13 local elections. The former Minister claimed that the next five years would not be frustrating as the last five years if the party won the elections. “We will not let recur such situation as we have a clear vision about what should be done in the next five years. The NC is determined to prevent the misuse of resources and to promote the good governance and transparency. The upcoming decade will be the decade of the job creation and the NC aspires to properly utilise agriculture, tourism and energy resources, and to grab opportunities of ample employment generation. We aim to create 500 thousand jobs each year,” the leader said eloquently. Society chair Dr Kedar Narsingh KC said the party’s election resolution is its guidelines and the party is expected to build atmosphere enabling the freedom of expression and opinion, the core values of democracy. Society vice chair Kulchandra Wagle insisted on the NC leadership to what he argued make the local government systematic, transparent and people-friendly. Journalists Dr Suresh Acharya, Bishnu Nisthuri, Dharmendra Jha and rights activist Indra Aryal were among those who urged the party to further contribute for strengthening constitutional supremacy, press freedom, rule of law and the people’s rights. ---

Ruling alliance's election assembly commences in Kathmandu

 The election assembly of the five ruling parties organized in the federal capital, Kathmandu, in view of the local election has kicked off. The top leaders of the parties in the ruling coalition will address the assembly held at local Ratna Park.

The alliance is holding joint election assemblies across the country in the run up to the local election on May 13. It held the election assembly in Bharatpur of Chitwan on Thursday.

Srijana Singh is the mayoral candidate on behalf the ruling alliance in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Nepali Congress president and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (Maoist Center) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', CPN (Unified Socialist) Chair Madhav Kumar Nepal, Janata Samajbadi Party leader Rajendra Shrestha and Rastriya Janamorcha Chair Chitra Bahadur KC are scheduled to address the election gathering.

France Soccer Europa Conference League

 

Marseille's Pol Lirola reacts during the Europa Conference League semi final, second leg soccer match between Olympique Marseille and Feyenoord at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille, southern France,

Call to restore Nepal as a Hindu state

 

Different organisations associated with the Omkar Family have demanded establishing Nepal as a Hindu state as per the sentiments of the people at large.

At an interaction organised by the Omkar Family here on Thursday, speakers stressed on the need of uniting the political parties in favour of a Hindu state. On the occasion, former minister Dr Kanta Bhattarai said that leadership protecting the originality of Kathmandu Metropolitan City should be elected from local polls as Kathmandu is the cultural city of the country. Bhattarai requested the voters of Kathmandu to elect a leadership that would protect the identity of cultural city, Kathmandu, properly as it is at the risk as of late period. KMC Mayoral candidate of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Madan Das Shrestha, said that he is contesting for the post to work for the preservation of shrines, art, culture of Kathmandu, as attempts have been made to destroy them. RPP General Secretary Bhuwan Pathak demanded restoration of a Hindu state as per the people's suggestions for the resolution of the many problems that have surfaced after Nepal was established as a secular state. Similarly, Asmita Bhandari of World Hindu Federation demanded a halt in the attack on religious heritages of another communities immediately, objecting to the Shelshmantak forest premises of Pashupati area being used as a burial site by the Christian Community. She expressed commitment that all religious communities of Omkar Family would work together to make Shrestha victorious in the May 13 local polls election.