Election security maintained; silence period commencing tonight at 12:00

Kathmandu, March 2: Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal has said that security arrangements during the election silence period have been enhanced. 

On the eve of the start of this silence period, Minister Aryal visited the Election Commission's office on Monday to discuss the thorough preparations for the House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled for March 5. 

Minister Aryal, along with the EC officials, deliberated on security measures, compliance with the code of conduct, and its enforcement. 

The Minister assured that election security has been effectively established, allowing citizens to cast their votes with confidence. 

Minister Aryal underscored that all security agencies and concerned organizations are collaborating to ensure effective security managements for the elections, aiming for a voting atmosphere for the fair election. 

As per the election schedule, voting is planned for March 5 from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The election code of conduct stipulates that the election silence period will begin tonight at 12:00. 

During the meeting, Officiating Chief Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari noted that there would be rigorous monitoring to guarantee adherence to the code of conduct throughout the silence period. 

Bhandari stressed that compliance with the code is important and that those who violate would face legal actions. 

In the course of the discussions, Home Minister Aryal received updates on the overall election preparations. Information was also provided regarding the EC's plans for the transportation of ballot boxes following the voting. 

Present at the discussion were Election Commissioner Dr. Janaki Kumari Tuladhar, Secretary at the Commission Krishna Bahadur Raut, Secretary at the Home Ministry Raj Kumar Shrestha, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister, Ajay Bhadra Khanal, along with other officials. (RSS)