Nepali Army Establishes Election Security Base Camps in Mustang Ahead of By-election

Mustang. The Nepali Army has established election security base camps in two locations in Mustang for the upcoming House of Representatives by-election scheduled for Falgun 21. According to the Indra Baks Battalion in Jomsom, election security bases were established starting Wednesday at Thurlungphat in Lo Manthang, Upper Mustang, which borders Nepal-China, and at the Indra Baks Battalion in Jomsom, House No. 4, Lower Mustang.

The establishment of election security bases in Mustang follows the government's decision to mobilize the army across the country to ensure the election is conducted in a clean, independent, impartial, and fear-free peaceful environment, as stated by the Indra Baks Battalion in Jomsom.

The army has begun patrolling twice every 24 hours from the security base camps established for election security in Mustang. Armed army teams have started patrolling key market areas and rural areas to maintain the election security environment. The army has commenced continuous election security patrols during both day and night.

According to the Indra Baks Battalion, the area of operation has been divided, with the election security base at Thurlungphat in Lo Manthang covering the Upper Mustang region, and the election area under the Indra Baks Battalion covering the lower region. It has been reported that the military election security base in Upper Mustang has started continuous patrolling to ensure the election is completed in a peaceful environment.

Similarly, the Armed Police Force Nepal has also established an election security base in Chharang, Upper Mustang. A 35-member armed police election security team has been deployed there, commanded by one Armed Police Deputy Superintendent, comprising 24 armed police personnel and 11 election police.

The Nepal Police has announced the mobilization of 235 police personnel and 266 election police for the House of Representatives by-election. According to Police Inspector Santosh Basnyat, the selected election police from within and outside the district will undergo orientation training until Magh 28, after which they will be assigned to police units under the District Police Office. The deployed police security personnel are set to intensify security and regular patrolling of polling centers and polling stations.

For the upcoming election, 39 polling centers have been established across five local levels in Mustang. The District Election Office stated that 11,328 voters have been registered following the latest voter list update. Eight political parties have registered candidates for the House of Representatives member election in Mustang.