Kathmandu, February 5: In preparation for the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 5, Nepal has deployed its army nationwide to enhance election security starting Wednesday.
Under a unified election security plan, the Nepalese government has decided to deploy a total of 79,727 soldiers to ensure peaceful elections. These troops will work alongside the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and temporarily appointed election police to manage security. With less than a month remaining until the elections for the House of Representatives, security measures have been tightened.
Brigadier General Rajaram Basnet, spokesperson for the Nepal Army, stated, “The Nepal Army has been deployed in accordance with the government’s decision and the unified security plan. We have established bases at various locations and initiated joint patrols with other security agencies.”
As part of the plan, the Nepal Army will replace police forces at airports, jails, and other sensitive sites, allowing police personnel to focus on election duties at the ground level.
Basnet noted that during joint patrols, assessments of polling stations are being conducted to ensure adequate security management. The unified security plan will be implemented in three phases: pre-election, during voting, and post-election.
In the pre-election phase, the Nepal Army is ensuring the security of ballot printing. He added, “Joint exercises with personnel from all security agencies, ground patrols, and aerial surveillance by the Nepal Army will continue.”
According to the plan, security at polling stations will be organized into three rings. The first ring will consist of the Nepal Police, as in previous elections. The second ring will involve the Armed Police Force, while the third and outer ring will be managed by the Nepal Army. However, adjustments to these security arrangements may be made based on circumstances.
In the post-election phase, security forces will also be deployed for the safe transport of ballot boxes, protection of polling stations, and safeguarding counting centers.
Overall, more than 338,000 security personnel will be deployed under this plan, including members from the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, election police, intelligence agencies, and other security units.
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