KATHMANDU, Dec 7: The Ministry of Home Affairs has said that it has left no stone unturned to conduct Thursday's parliamentary and provincial elections in free and fair atmosphere and urged voters to cast their ballots without fear.
Organizing a press conference on the eve of the elections, the home ministry said that it has taken all necessary precautions to avoid any unpleasant accident on the voting day.
The Home Ministry's appeal comes at a time when growing number of attacks have prompted widespread concerns over reduced voter turnout.
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Nepal had not seen poll-related violence at this scale since the Maoist rebels entered the mainstream politics ending a decade-long armed insurgency in 2006. At least 40 polls candidates have become targets of bomb attacks in the last three weeks.
MoHA officials said that around 200,000 security personnel including temporary police have been deployed for poll security. This includes around 70,000 Nepal Army personnel, 60,000 Nepal Police personnel, 42,891 Armed Police Force personnel and 98,000 temporary cops for the second phase of elections. Some of these security personnel have been deployed to guard the ballots of the first phase of elections held on November 26.
"Besides boots on the ground, a quick response team and reserve force have been kept on standby at each polling station. These reserve forces have been stationed in such a way that they would reach the incident site within minutes," said MoHA spokesperson Narayan Prasad Sharma Duwadi.
The quick response teams, which comprise members of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Nepal Army, have been authorized to enter the polling center in case of any untoward incident, said MoHA officials.
Organizing a separate press conference at Nepal Police headquarters on Wednesday, Nepal Police spokesperson DIG Manoj Neupane said Nepal Police has deployed more than 90 percent of its personnel for poll security. He said that the Communist Party of Nepal led by Netra Bikram Chand was responsible for most of the recent attacks and claimed that all those involved in the attacks would be booked. Police have arrested some 50 cadres of Chand-led party in the run up to the elections.
"Some miscreant groups are trying to instill fear among people with hoax bombs and homemade explosive devices. But there is absolutely no need to fear. We have taken extra precaution in all stations, even more so in station susceptible to violence," said Neupane.
