Kathmandu, February 25 The Nepal Army announced on Wednesday that it is implementing a three-phase integrated security plan, including aerial patrols and neutralizing suspicious objects, for the upcoming general elections next week.
A total of 18.9 million eligible voters will exercise their franchise to elect 275 members of the House of Representatives (HoR), with polling taking place from 7 am to 5 pm on March 5.
The army said it has made arrangements for security management in three phases – before, during, and after the election – to ensure that the general election is conducted in a free, fair, and fearless manner.
Necessary preparations have been completed through election-related training and joint exercises, said Army Spokesperson Rajaram Basnet.
According to the integrated security plan, the army will carry out security work at polling stations and counting sites, conduct aerial patrols, and neutralize suspicious objects during the election, the army spokesperson said.
On the day of voting, three-tier security will be provided at all polling booths, and after the election, integrated teams will provide security during the collection and transportation of ballot boxes to the counting sites.
These integrated teams will include personnel from other security agencies, election officers, and party representatives.
In addition to Nepal Army personnel, personnel from the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force will also be mobilized under the coordination of the Nepal Army.
As already announced, around 330,000 security personnel, including 80,000 Nepal Army personnel, will be mobilized for the purpose of conducting the election smoothly.