KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 9
The Election Commission has issued a directive to all 77 district administration office to ensure the participation of political parties and candidates in the ongoing campaign for elections to the House of Representatives and provincial assemblies scheduled for November 20.
The written directive was circulated by the election panel through the Ministry of Home Affairs. According to a bulletin published by the EC, the DAOs have been told to provide foolproof security to election candidates, employees, monitors, observers and voters. It also directed the DAOs to enable the candidates to carry out their election campaign in a free, fearless and peaceful environment.
Birodh Khatiwada, a candidate under the first-past-thepost of the HoR election from Constituency No 2 of Makawanpur was allegedly manhandled by a person during the campaign yesterday. Police have arrested the suspect.
Similarly, the EC warned that campaigning in various districts, including in Dadeldhura were obstructed. "Our serious attention has been drawn to these incidents. The constitution has guaranteed competitive multiparty democratic governance system, right to freedom, various fundamental rights of citizens, human rights, right to vote, and periodic elections.
Each candidate enjoys equal opportunity to compete in the elections. Therefore, the DAOs should ensure that no one and nothing harms any person, including candidates and other stakeholders," it said.
Likewise, the DAOs have been told to strictly enforce the integrated election security plan in their respective areas in a bid to hold polls in a free, fair and fearless environment. The security plan was outlined for integrated mobilisation of the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department.
As per the integrated security plan, the security agencies will carry out pre-election, election and post-election security operations. The security arrangements will be in place until the victory rally of the political parties following the announcement of the final results of the elections.
Security agencies have been assigned to focus on the security of voters, election candidates, political leaders, general public, election officials, warehouses of election logistics, polling stations, and ballot counting centres, among others.
A version of this article appears in the print on November 10, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
