NSC concludes all preparations for HoR polls

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Mar. 5: A meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) has concluded that comprehensive arrangements have been finalised to ensure that the House of Representatives elections slated for Thursday are conducted in a free, fair, peaceful and error-free manner, with no shortcomings in security provisions.

A meeting of the Council, chaired by Prime Minister Sushila Karki, was held at Singha Durbar on Wednesday. Following a thorough review of the electoral security framework, the Council determined that all required security measures for the polls are firmly in place.

Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, Kedar Nath Sharma, following the meeting said that the meeting resolved to further mobilise the concerned security agencies in a more coordinated and effective manner to maintain law and order across the country.

The Council also deliberated on a range of national security challenges, assessing the potential impact of evolving developments at the national, regional and international levels on Nepal’s security landscape. Discussions further encompassed prospective strategic responses, Sharma informed.

The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Rameshwar Khanal, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, Foreign Minister Balananda Sharma, Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Rajendra Singh Bhandari, Chief Secretary Suman Raj Aryal, and Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashok Raj Sigdel.

Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that all preparations for the House of Representatives election have been completed across all 77 districts of the country.

The announcement was made following a virtual meeting held on Wednesday morning with Chief District Officers (CDOs) from all districts. The meeting reviewed election security arrangements and confirmed that all logistical and administrative tasks have been finalised. The virtual meeting, chaired by Home Secretary Raj Kumar Shrestha and attended by senior ministry officials along with CDOs from all 77 districts, assessed the overall election preparedness and security management nationwide.

According to the Ministry’s Assistant Spokesperson Rama Acharya, the nearly three-hour meeting focused primarily on election readiness and security arrangements. She said CDOs from all the districts reported that preparations had been completed and that the security situation remained normal. Discussions also covered district-level election preparedness, the current situation on the ground, and coordination required from the central government. The meeting reviewed the state of law and order, security sensitivities, and precautionary measures to be adopted on polling day, and reached an understanding on strategies moving forward.

Home Secretary Shrestha directed Chief District Officers to ensure that election security remains robust and effective. During the meeting, CDOs from all districts informed the ministry that security personnel, election staff, and voting materials had already been deployed to polling centres.