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By Deepak Joshi Pokhrel

The election fever has gripped the nation. All political parties are busy campaigning to woo voters with door-to-door programs and other activities. The leaders, as always, are making lofty and airy speeches to fool innocent Nepalis. With the fast-approaching election, the security agencies are having sleepless nights, giving them a headache. Their worries and concerns are justifiable, given reports of past untoward incidents in the run-up to elections.

In countries like ours, untoward incidents during elections have become a common occurrence. Impersonation, ballot box stealing, arson, vandalism, clashes between cadres of rival parties, and voter intimidation have remained our hallmark ever since democracy was restored. Similarly, polling booth capturing and reports of influencing voters with gift vouchers right in front of polling stations are other major challenges on display. Against this background, security agencies have been entrusted with the huge responsibility of ensuring elections are conducted in a peaceful and fearless environment.

Periodic elections are an integral part of any functioning democracy across the globe. They serve as an opportunity for eligible voters to exercise their democratic franchise. Through periodic elections, voters retain representatives they like and reject those they dislike. This is the beauty of democracy. But our elections over the years have come under public scrutiny, raising questions over security arrangements.

Security lapses have been a major concern among voters across the country. Just Google “unidentified party running off with a ballot box after stealing it from a polling centre,” and you will find innumerable images. But images related to Rautahat during the 2022 election will send a chill down the spine.

The election was halted, and re-election took place after a group of locals made off with a ballot drop box at the Bhediyahi School polling centre in Ward 2 of Yamunamai Rural Municipality in Rautahat district during the 2022 general elections. The incident, shared on social media and television, exposed glaring lapses in security arrangements and negligence by the authorities. The Election Commission cancelled the vote at the centre, and polling was conducted on another day under heavy security. This is just one example of ballot box theft. There are several others.

This is not to say that other districts of Madhesh Province are not sensitive in terms of election security. They are. Security agencies have classified nearly 58 per cent of polling stations in Madhesh Province for the upcoming elections as highly sensitive, citing past incidents of violence, political rivalry, and open-border vulnerabilities. According to the Madhesh Province Police Office in Janakpur, out of 2,160 polling stations in the province, 1,236 have been categorized as highly sensitive, while the rest fall under sensitive or normal categories. This poses a daunting challenge for security agencies to maintain law and order in the province, given its notorious election history.

Ahead of the parliamentary election, people across the country are raising a genuine question: are the security arrangements flawless? Likewise, will the environment be conducive to voting in a peaceful and fearless manner? We hope to get the answer very soon.

In an interview, Deputy Inspector General Krishna Dhakal of the Armed Police Force said strict checks have begun at major border crossings to prevent the movement of weapons and criminal elements. This is one area where we need to be very careful, as we share a long and porous border with India, leaving room for antisocial elements to sneak into Nepal and sabotage the election.

In September last year, the country witnessed a Gen Z–led uprising against rampant corruption and poor governance. The two-day protest ousted the Oli-led government and dissolved Parliament, paving the way for the formation of an interim government under the leadership of former Chief Justice Sushila Karki. During the protests that spread across the country, many inmates escaped from prison, taking advantage of the unrest. Likewise, many weapons were stolen, the whereabouts of which remain unknown.

Beyond security arrangements, agencies are mindful of the post–Gen Z scenario marked by stolen weapons and absconding prisoners. There is growing fear that these factors could mar the election. Unlike in the past, security agencies need to be more vigilant and cautious to ensure voters can exercise their democratic franchise in a peaceful and fearless environment.

It is extremely difficult to imagine peaceful and fearless elections in many parts of the country. It is also hard to believe there will be no untoward incidents involving clashes between cadres of political heavyweights. While the Election Commission and security agencies claim that security arrangements are flawless, reports from the ground suggest otherwise.

Every election feels increasingly familiar. We hear the same promises and the same lofty, airy rhetoric that always ends in disappointment. What is worrying is that we are gradually losing interest in politics and have stopped expecting anything from it. We now understand that elections are often won by money or muscle. Likewise, politicians with criminal backgrounds appear to have higher chances of winning than those with integrity and values.

Our political history has never been smooth. We dismantled entrenched power, endured conflict, and wrote the rules of the state. These achievements were not made overnight; they were long in the making. They required collective anger against injustice and oppression to establish a system where power lies with the people—who can elect and unseat their representatives through elections.

But what is the point of such a system if we cannot guarantee peaceful and fearless elections? Security agencies have been entrusted with a great responsibility, and we hope they will rise to the occasion and come out with flying colours.