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Kathmandu, February 5: Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari has said the favourable environment is now in place for peaceful elections. He said that while there were questions at the beginning about law and order, those concerns no longer exist.

“This is a complex security situation by the standards of this century, so we began discussions from the day after the election was announced,” Acting Chief Commissioner Bhandari said.

The Gen Z movement took place on September 8 and 9, 2025. During that period, then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was forced to resign. On September 12, 2025, an interim government was formed under the leadership of former chief justice Sushila Karki. On the recommendation of the interim government, President Ram Chandra Paudel dissolved the House of Representatives and announced March 5, 2026, as the election date.

Bhandari said it was natural for many to be concerned about security in the early phase because the government emerged after a revolt. “The constitution is alive,” he said. “If a balanced environment is not maintained between the old forces and the new ones, elections cannot take place peacefully.” He added that the commission held repeated discussions with the government after identifying possible security challenges.

He also recalled that issues related to party leaders and party-nominated candidates often came up during talks on law and order. He said discussions have also focused on the safety of voters who will take part in the election process and go to polling stations.

Based on ongoing discussions with the government and the heads of security agencies, the commission has found that the security bodies are now capable of protecting voters, Bhandari said.

“Looking at everything from all sides, there is no longer a need to worry too much about security,” he said. “The election will be held with confidence. It will be peaceful. No one can disrupt it.” He added that attempts to disrupt the process were neutralised early on, putting an end to the matter.

People’s News Monitoring Service