EC dismayed at security in certain districts

Kathmandu, February 8:

With less than one-and-a-half months remaining for the Constituent Assembly elections, the Election Commission is yet to be content with the security situation in the Tarai and a few eastern hilly districts.

An election commissioner today said the commission has repeatedly asked the government to step up security measures to ensure that the situation in those districts, especially in a few Tarai and eastern hilly districts, does not go “out of control”.

Commissioner Usha Nepal said the Election Commission has sent necessary logistics to all districts for the April 10 polls despite “sporadic disturbances” in the districts like Siraha, Saptari, Udayapur, Bara and Nawalparasi to name a few.

Some EC returning officers were attacked in Nawalparasi, while supporters of the agitating Madhesi front detonated a bomb at the election office in Bara last week.

“We have informed the government of such attacks on returning officers,” Nepal said, adding that the commission has received a positive response from the government.

She said the Election Commission is optimistic that minor disturbances would not affect the elections since the people and the political parties wanted polls to happen on time. “There is no major disturbance,” Nepal said referring to the commission’s efforts to reach the logistics in the problematic districts on army helicopters.

The government has provided the Election Commission with army helicopters for election purposes in the conflict-affected districts.