Nearly 170,000 security personnel to be mobilized for local polls

Nepal government is planning to mobilize a total of 168,000 security personnel from various security agencies of the country to ensure security during the upcoming May 13 local level elections.  There will be three tier security system in place during the local election, according to officials.

Accordingly, Nepal’s security apparatus has come to the fore with the necessary security strategy to ensure that the local elections are held in a free, fair, and fearless manner.

As per the strategy, Nepal Police will be in the first circle of election security, the armed police force in the second circle and Nepal Army in the third circle. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the security mechanism has been mobilized by formulating an integrated as well as separate strategic security plan for the security agencies to conduct the election in a fearless and peaceful manner.   

During the upcoming election, Nepal Police will mobilize more than 65,000 personnel while 71,000 personnel of the Nepal Army and 32,000 from the Armed Police Force will be deployed. The Nepal police have formulated an election security strategy to create a peaceful and fearless voting environment, informed Nepal Police SSP Bishnukumar KC.   

Similarly, the National Investigation Department will also be mobilized to support the security agencies in performing their duties. A total of 10,756 polling stations and 21,955 polling booths have been set up for the elections. Accordingly, the government has categorized 2,946 polling stations as highly sensitive, 4,423 as sensitive and 3,387 as less sensitive.   

 According to Nepal Army sources the army teams will be deployed at various polling stations and is also responsible for the transportation of ballot papers and security of ballot boxes. Spokesperson of the Armed Police, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Bidur Khadka said 32,000 armed police personnel have been prepared for the election security. Some have already been deployed and some are preparing to be sent on election duty. Altogether 753 local representatives from across the country will be elected during the local body elections in Nepal.