Kathmandu, Oct 18: President Ramchandra Paudel has directed the heads of security agencies and the government to assure political parties and citizens that the upcoming elections will be held in a free, fair, and fear-free environment.
During a meeting held at the Presidential Office, Sheetal Niwas, on Saturday, attended by interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki and cabinet ministers, President Paudel issued this instruction to the chiefs of all four security agencies.
According to the President’s press advisor, Kiran Pokharel, Paudel also urged the security agencies to act “boldly” in maintaining law and order and creating an atmosphere free from fear during the election period. He further called for the immediate recovery of weapons looted and the re-arrest of prisoners who escaped on Bhadra 24.
Prime Minister Karki assured that the interim government would leave no effort undone to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful election. She said the government was fully prepared and committed to providing all necessary resources and logistics to the security agencies.
The security chiefs pledged to maintain law and order and conduct the elections in a peaceful and fear-free environment. They recalled successfully managing elections in even more difficult circumstances in the past and affirmed their complete readiness for the upcoming polls.
The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Karki, all ministers except the finance minister, Chief of Army Staff Ashok Sigdel, Inspector General of Police Chandrakuber Khapung, Inspector General of Armed Police Raju Aryal, and Chief of the National Investigation Department Tekendra Karki.
-People's News Monitoring Service