Nepal local polls: Election Commission intensifies preparations amid COVID-19 threat

Kathmandu [Nepal], April 23 : With less than three weeks left for local-level polls, the Election Commission of Nepal is intensifying its preparations amid the threat from COVID-19 that still looms over the Himalayan nation.
Election Commission has been making preparations round the clock for the polls at a time when neighbouring China has locked down its major financial hub of Shanghai due to a surge in COVID-19 and India too raised alarm over rising cases in the country.
"Considering the possible threat of COVID-19, Election Commission has adopted health precautionary measures as well as directed all offices under its administration which are to conduct the election to adhere to the safety protocols imposed by Nepal Government," Shaligram Sharma Paudel, Spokesperson of Election Commission, Nepal told ANI.
"The threat posed by pandemic stands low in comparison to the high-risk situation that existed in past. But also considering the danger posed by it (COVID-19) in the coming days, we have dispatched an adequate number of masks and sanitisers to the polling centres. Further steps to be adopted overseeing the situation of the pandemic would be decided by the commission in coming days," he added.
The electoral body has set up a temporary camp on open ground in front of its main office and works round the clock ensuring a smooth supply of essentials to electoral offices set throughout the nation.
"Works are underway rapidly, the ballot papers are being printed while essentials for the polls are being transported. We have transported essentials to about 30 districts and about 15 districts will get the essentials today (Saturday). Within the next two or three days, we will finish all the transportation works and then we will dispatch the ballot papers," Paudel further said.
A total of 57 different items which are required during the elections are currently being transported from the head office of the electoral body assigning transportation contractors for the supply. These vehicles are tracked through installed GPS devices and are kept under round the clock surveillance by Nepal Army deployed for elections.
A meeting of Nepal's Council of Ministers on February 7 had decided to hold the local level elections on May 13 constraining the electoral body's demand of 120 days of preparatory time. Earlier, the Election Commission (EC) had recommended that the government announce the date of the local elections on May 18 this year.
The Election Commission has set up a total of 10,756 polling stations and 21,955 polling booths for the elections. Accordingly, the government has categorized 2,946 polling stations as 'highly sensitive', 4,423 as 'sensitive' and 3,387 as 'less sensitive'.
A total of 168,000 security personnel from Nepal's various security agencies are going to be mobilized to ensure security during the upcoming elections.
In this election, Nepal Police will mobilize more than 65,000 personnel while 71,000 personnel of the Nepal Army and 32,000 from the Armed Police Force will be deployed.
Accordingly, Nepal's security apparatus has come to the fore with the necessary security strategy to ensure that the local elections are held in a free, fair, and fearless manner.
The 'security team' is currently conducting information gathering, and on-site inspection of polling stations and centres and has been deployed to provide necessary security in the areas where election activities have started.
As per the strategy, Nepal Police will be in the first circle of ensuring election security, the armed police force in the second circle and the Nepal Army in the third circle.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has stated that the security mechanism has been mobilized by formulating an integrated as well as separate strategic security plan for the security agencies to conduct the election in a fair, fearless and peaceful manner.
Nepal Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bishnukumar KC said that the police forces have formulated an election security strategy to create a peaceful and fearless voting environment.
The Government of Nepal has also developed an integrated security plan with the participation of all security agencies. The police spokesperson said that all the security of the election would be the responsibility of the Nepal Police and its support force would be the Armed Police Force and the Nepal Army and the National Investigation Department.