Temporary police personnel, or Myadai Parhari as they are generally called, will be deployed in areas other than they are hired from or where they are listed as voters, the Ministry of Home Affairs decided in a bid to avoid any kind of conflict of interest that could arise. 

The government has hired 75,000 temporary police personnel for local level elections. However, only 24,477 will be deployed in the first phase polls to be held on Sunday in 34 districts of three provinces-3, 4 and 6. The temporary police will not be deployed at polling stations and centres in the areas where they are listed as voters, MoHA said. 

Government usually hires individuals as temporary cops during elections to assist Nepal Police personnel who are mainly responsible for maintain poll security. Temporary cops’ duties are limited to arranging lines and assisting voters. 

The government had hired temporary police during the last two Constituent Assembly elections in 2008 and 2013. 

But during the first CA elections, there were concerns, with some accusing the parties in the government of hiring their cadres. Hence, during 2013 CA elections, temporary police personnel were deployed in areas other than they were hired from. 

According to police officials, temporary cops will not be sent to other districts than they hail from because of time constraint. So they will be deployed in other areas within the districts. 

However, some say the government should deployed temporary cops to other districts where they don’t belong to completely avoid any conflict of interest. 

According to the integrated security plan developed by MoHA, five police personnel and six temporary cops will be backed by a 15-member striking team of the Armed Police Force who will be deployed to secure each polling centre. Another 10-member APF mobile team will be guarding the entire polling station. Each team will be backed by a team of Nepal Army personnel.