Vote Without Fear

The government has ensured robust security arrangements for voters to cast their ballots in fear-free environment. The Election Commission (EC) has diligently completed the work necessary ahead of the election. Election materials for both first-past-the-post (FPTP) and proportional representation systems have reached all 165 constituencies across the country. The Home Ministry has urged people to participate in the election, with full assurance of security. Likewise, police personnel across the country have been instructed to ensure the smooth conduct of the House of Representatives (HoR) election scheduled for March 5.

The HoR election induced by the Gen Z movement was marked by security challenges. After the movement, political parties were concerned about security issues during the election. Slowly and gradually, the state apparatus worked in such a way as to create the environment for the election. Currently, all political parties and people are assured of robust security to hold the election successfully, which is expected to increase voter turnout.

Maintaining robust security was a formidable task to Nepal police as many prisoners fled the jails during the second day of the movement. Stolen weapons and escaped inmates posed a major security threat. Many police stations were vandalised and burned down, which weakened the operational capacity of law enforcement agencies. However, most of the prisoners have since either surrendered or have been rearrested, making it possible for the government to overcome the obstacles.

The government has become able to avoid the conflict between the members of the political parties, which is generally witnessed during the election. Apart from a few scattered incidents, major such conflicts have not been reported so far. Nepal police is taking the frontline role during the election and it is equipped to tackle security challenges that may arise during the polling period. All the political parties have shown strict adherence to the election code thought some minor cases of election code violation have been recorded.

Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, asserting that the security situation across the country is steadily strengthening and the election atmosphere is progressing positively, has added assurance among the people. Polling stations have been classified as sensitive or highly sensitive due to past incidents of conflict, political division or geographical locations. He has warned that the government will take a firm stance against any group attempting to disrupt the elections.

Likewise, to avert security threats, political parties and all state bodies have cooperated to make the election a success. The political parties contesting the upcoming election have shown great restraint and abided by the code of conduct, so that the election is expected to remain smooth. It has testified that political parties have great respect for democracy and the rule of law.

The election is very important to give legitimacy to the government, since it was constituted with the mandate to conduct fresh polls and lead the country towards stability. Following the Gen Z movement, holding a credible election is an essential step towards rebuilding public trust and ensuring a democratic way forward.