KATHMANDU: The government has said that security preparations for the election scheduled for March 5 have been completed.
According to the Home Ministry, no major shortcomings have been observed in security arrangements across the country as of Tuesday.
Home Ministry Information Officer Rama Acharya Subedi said necessary arrangements have been made to transport ballot boxes to polling locations. Vehicles have been arranged in areas with road access, while helicopters and aircraft will be used to transport ballot boxes to and from remote Himalayan districts.
“The home administration has already issued instructions nationwide to ensure a proper election environment. Reports suggest that all-party meetings have been held in many districts and preparations are moving forward,” Acharya told Khabarhub. “All arrangements related to security and the work of election officers have been completed. All security agencies have been mobilized to ensure a free and fair election.”
She said an environment has been created for voters to cast their ballots without fear and urged them to participate confidently. Acharya also requested voters to immediately inform security agencies if they notice any suspicious activity.
For the election, the government has mobilized five security bodies: the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force Nepal, the National Investigation Department, and temporary election police.
The Nepal Army has already been deployed in the field since February 3 to strengthen security arrangements. The Armed Police Force has been stationed in the second security ring.
According to Nepal Police, a total of 149,990 temporary police personnel have been mobilized to assist the security forces during the election. The Home Ministry said they have been deployed with necessary training and facilities.
Election Commission says preparations complete
The Election Commission Nepal has also stated that all preparations for the House of Representatives election have been completed.
Commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said more than 5,000 observers will be mobilized during the election. The commission is currently addressing issues reported from district offices and polling centers.
Strong security for nationwide voting
The Home Ministry said security deployment has been strengthened as voting will take place simultaneously in all 165 constituencies across the country.
Authorities said security strategies were also developed considering incidents during the Gen-Z protests held on September 8 and 9, when weapons were looted and stolen.
Police officials said additional security vigilance has been arranged at polling centers compared to previous elections. Sensitive polling stations will have inner security rings led by Nepal Police and election police, while the Armed Police Force and the Nepal Army will be stationed in outer rings if necessary. Plainclothes officers will also be deployed for monitoring.
About 71,000 Nepal Police personnel have already been mobilized at polling stations, with plans to increase the number if required.
Both the Nepal Army and the Armed Police Force have established temporary base camps in each constituency to support security management. The army has been conducting patrols for the past two weeks under different operational levels.
Special monitoring during silence period
Police said special monitoring is underway during the election silence period to prevent attempts to influence voters.
Authorities are particularly watching for attempts to offer inducements, exert pressure on voters, or capture polling booths. Police say such practices have occurred in past elections and security has been tightened to prevent them this time.
Security agencies are also monitoring political groups and organizations that did not participate in the election to prevent any attempts to disrupt the process. Individuals including Durga Prasai and Dharmendra Bastola have been detained as part of preventive measures.
Police have also intensified efforts to recover weapons looted during earlier protests. On Monday, one INSAS rifle was recovered from Bhaktapur.
Around 80,000 personnel from the Nepal Army and more than 35,000 from the Armed Police Force have been deployed for election security.
Priority to highly sensitive polling stations
Out of 11,901 polling locations nationwide, authorities have classified 4,614 as highly sensitive. Another 442 polling stations are categorized as sensitive, while 2,846 are considered relatively low risk.
Security deployment has been arranged based on these classifications, with special focus on highly sensitive areas and constituencies with high-profile candidates.
Officials say security agencies are also taking into account the possible impact of the Gen-Z protest movement while monitoring polling centers.
No atmosphere of fear: former police official
Former Deputy Inspector General of Nepal Police Hemant Malla said the current situation suggests there is no atmosphere of fear surrounding the election.
He said the interim government has taken appropriate steps to ensure security.
“Looking at the preparations, there is no environment of fear in the election,” Malla said. “Compared to previous elections, this one appears better in terms of security and management. Since there have been no major clashes so far, the election is likely to be peaceful.”
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