KATHMANDU: The District Administration Office, Parsa, has decided to close all border points along the Nepal-India border line for 72 hours, considering the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) elections.

Assistant Chief District Officer Binod Kumar Pokhrel stated that all border points connected to India have been closed from Monday midnight to Thursday midnight.

A decision has been made to close the international border points in Parsa, Pokhrel said.

There is a practice that both countries close their borders for 72 hours during their elections, according to Pokhrel. This decision was taken in view of security sensitivities during the elections, it is said.

Meanwhile, Assistant Chief District Officer Pokhrel has urged one and all to make the Holi festival which is being marked today harmonious and election–friendly.

Hooliganisms, forcefully smearing colors on others, destabilizing social harmony by liquor intake and other untoward activities in the public space during the Holi festival are strictly prohibited, he said.

KATHMANDU: The Holi festival is being celebrated with much fanfare in the Tarai districts today. The festival was marked in mountainous and hilly districts on Monday.

The festival is being celebrated in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta Purba), Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Susta Paschim), Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Saptari, Siraha, Udayapur, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat, Bara, Parsa, Rupandehi, Kapilbastu, Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur districts.

This festival is celebrated every year on the full moon day of the month of Fagun in the Lunar Calendar.

The Holi festival is being celebrated as an ancient tradition which brings a message of mutual harmony and goodwill with the arrival of spring. People smear colours and splash coloured water on one another in the course of celebrating this festival.

People gather around the major thoroughfares dancing and singing.

As per legend, the festival is also celebrated as a victory of truth over falsehood, with people of all ages, caste and creed joining the celebration.

The government has been giving a public holiday on the occasion of this festival.

KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has directed the Election Code of Conducts Monitoring Officers to effectively implement the code of conduct until the voting centres are closed from today.

The House of Representatives (HoR) election is scheduled to take place on March 5.

The EC has assigned the Assistant Chief District Officer and Chief of the District Treasury Office as the election code of conduct monitoring officers with specific responsibility.

The EC has directed the concerned officials to effectively implement the code of conduct as per the provisions stated in the Election Code of Conducts, 2082 BS.

As per the election code of conduct, the political parties and candidates have been barred from being engaged in election publicity campaigns since last midnight.

With the beginning of the silence period for the March 5 election to the House of Representatives, the election publicity is banned.

The silence period provides time for the voters to decide their voting for the favourable candidates.

The election publicity and silence period are also effective on social networking sites.

KATHMANDU: The weather will remain mainly fair in the country, with partly cloudy conditions likely over the hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati, and Gandaki Provinces, as well as the remaining mountainous regions.

Furthermore, there is a possibility of light rain and snowfall with thunder and lightning at one or two places in the hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi Province, as well as in the mountainous regions of Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division.

Morning mist is likely at a few places in the Tarai region. Generally cloudy conditions are expected over the mountainous regions of Koshi, Bagmati, and Gandaki Provinces.

Later tonight, haze is likely at a few places in the Tarai region, while partly cloudy conditions are expected over the hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi and Gandaki Provinces. The weather will remain mainly fair over the rest of the country.

There is a possibility of light rain and snowfall with thunder and lightning at one or two places in the hilly and mountainous regions of Koshi Province, as well as in the mountainous region of Gandaki Province.

Meanwhile, the meteorological analysis by the Division states that at present Nepal is under the partial influence of westerly winds.

KATHMANDU: Voter education program conducted by the Election Commission across the country with the objective of educating the importance of elections and the voting process and reducing invalid votes has been completed.

The Commission had conducted the voter education program in all 6,743 wards across the country.

The voter education program which began on February 15 was completed on Sunday in all wards of 753 local levels across the country.

Voter education volunteers were mobilized in every ward for the voter education program.

Election Commissioner Dr Janaki Kumari Tuladhar said that the program was completed through volunteers reaching out to voters at their doorsteps.

She also praised the contribution of female community health volunteers, who made the targeted program successful.

Health volunteers have been given the responsibility to provide voter education since the 2079 BS general elections.

For the purpose of the voter education program, the commission had also appointed the focal points at the local level, who served as monitors of the election voter education program and conducted orientation.