Kathmandu- Security agencies have identified possible clashes among political parties and factions as the primary security challenge ahead of the planned House of Representatives elections, according to a recent security briefing held at the Home Ministry.
Senior officials of the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department briefed the Home Ministry a few days ago on the preparedness and risks associated with holding elections scheduled for Falgun 21. As the date approaches, the ministry has intensified work on a comprehensive election security strategy.
Some political parties have expressed concern that holding elections around late Falgun or March could be sensitive from a security perspective, citing issues such as escaped prisoners, stolen weapons and missing ammunition. However, security agencies have maintained that these factors do not pose a decisive threat to the electoral process.
According to the briefing, a significant number of the 1,271 weapons looted from Nepal Police during past unrest have already been recovered. Security officials believe that many of the remaining weapons were discarded in rivers, forests or bushes, while some may be hidden in limited numbers by individuals with criminal backgrounds.
“Most of the weapons have been recovered. Some were lost and some may have been hidden or thrown away. Based on our analysis, these do not constitute a major election threat,” a senior security official told the ministry during the briefing.
Security agencies also reviewed the situation of escaped prisoners. Of the around 14,000 inmates who had escaped earlier, approximately 10,000 have been brought back under control, leaving fewer than 5,000 still at large. Officials said some of those remaining are foreign nationals, including Indian citizens.
The agencies concluded that absconding prisoners are unlikely to pose a direct threat to the elections. Instead, they may present risks to the general public, victims and the judiciary. Officials noted that many fugitives are in hiding or have left the country, and those who surface during the election period would be immediately arrested.
Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal has reiterated that the government is committed to holding elections on the scheduled date. Speaking at a Gandaki Province-level security seminar on Monday, Aryal said completing the elections on time and handing over authority to an elected government is the government’s primary responsibility.
