Preparing for the Upcoming Elections
As the date of the upcoming elections draws closer, the government is making preparations to seek logistical support from neighboring countries, India and China. This move is aimed at ensuring a smooth and successful conduct of the polls, which are set to take place four months from now.
The Election Commission has identified the types of support it needs from these two countries and has sent this list to the Ministry of Finance for further action. According to the acting chief election commissioner, Ram Prasad Bhandari, the commission does not directly engage with other countries but instead works through diplomatic channels.
During meetings with the government and the commission, representatives from India and China have expressed their willingness to provide support. On October 17, Prime Minister Sushila Karki requested the support of the diplomatic communities and development partners during a meeting with their heads.
Bhandari mentioned that the commission requires various vehicles such as motorcycles, pick-up vans, cars, and trucks for transporting ballot papers, ballot boxes, and other election-related logistics. However, he did not disclose the exact numbers of items needed. Sources indicate that the total number of items required is approximately 400.
The International Economic Cooperation Coordination Division of the Ministry of Finance will coordinate with the respective countries to receive the aid. Tanka Pandey, the ministry’s spokesperson, mentioned that the request has not been made yet and is still under discussion.
Prime Minister Karki has repeatedly emphasized that friendly nations are ready to provide support. In her recent meeting with the chief ministers from all provinces, she stated that neighboring countries are supplying vehicles. Additionally, some friendly nations have pledged financial assistance.
India previously provided 200 vehicles as part of its logistical support for the November 2022 elections in Nepal. Out of these, 120 were used by different security agencies, while 80 were utilized by the Election Commission itself.
With the recent incidents where dozens of vehicles belonging to security agencies were destroyed during the violent Gen Z movement, the need for more vehicles is higher than ever. Over 600 vehicles were vandalized or set on fire on September 9, with Nepal Police losing 525 vehicles and the Armed Police Force losing 62 vehicles.
Security agencies have raised logistical concerns at every security meeting focused on the March 5 elections. As the commission plans to conduct the polls in a single phase, better-equipped security agencies are essential to ensure peaceful elections.
Even if India and China provide the requested vehicles, the security agencies will still face a shortfall. To address this, the government has allocated a budget to purchase 251 vehicles for different agencies.
A total of 175 vehicles are being purchased for the Nepal Police, 70 for the Armed Police Force, and six for the National Intelligence Department. The finance ministry has sanctioned Rs800 million for the Nepal Police, Rs440 million for the Armed Police, and Rs30 million for the intelligence department.
During her meeting with the chief ministers, Karki mentioned that the process of procuring vehicles for the police had already started. Besides vehicles, the Election Commission has determined that it needs Rs7.8 billion to hold the elections, with most of the funds allocated for human resource management.
It is important to note that this figure does not include the cost for security arrangements. A tripartite meeting between the commission, the government, and the security agencies concluded that temporary police need to be recruited, as the current security strength will not be sufficient for the March 5 elections.
The practice of recruiting youths as temporary police officers during the election period is common. These individuals are mobilized for around a month, and millions of rupees are spent on their payment and uniforms.