80,000 army personnel to be mobilized in upcoming HoR elections

Kathmandu, Jan 8: The Nepali Army (NA) has geared up its preparation to mobilize 80,000 army personnel in the run-up to the House of Representatives (HoR) elections to be held on coming March 5.
NA’s Brigadier General and Spokesperson Rajaram Basnet informed that the army force would be mobilized in the elections in accordance with the endorsed Integrated Security Plan 2082 which has already been approved by the President.
“In line with the directive of the Integrated Security Plan, the army personnel would be mobilized in the field a month ahead of the elections,” he shared.
The government has endorsed the Integrated Security Plan while the National Security Council has also approved the matter of mobilizing the Army for election security.
The Army would work in three phases in course of the elections. NA would bear the major responsibility of providing security to ballot paper printing in the pre-election time and vital structures during the elections.
In coordination and collaboration with the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, the NA would take up the responsibility for providing security to vital structures such as airports and prisons.
In course of the elections, the NA would run election-related integrated training and drills in coordination, collaboration and cooperation of four security agencies and district administration offices.
The Army would assure the security of political parties, candidates, voters and employees deputed in the elections keeping itself in the third circle while being mobilized in the polling booths and centers.
As it has done in the past, the Nepali Army has made preparations to set up security bases at different places of the country targeting the election.
With the conclusion of the vting in the election on March 5 the Army will take the responsibility for the security of transporting the ballot boxes and the vote counting stations.
Security seminars are currently being conducted at the provincial level as well to ensure that the elections are held in a peaceful environment on the scheduled date, the Army stated.
The government will assess and analyse the situation to make additional security arrangements based on the suggestions received in the seminar.

The Army has stated that it is ready to provide election security as a primary duty of the state through coordination and cooperation with all security forces, local administration, and public representatives.