With the term of Myadi police expiring in four days, the government remains undecided on total deployment of temporary police in the third phase of local elections to be held in districts of Province 2 on September 18. 

The number of deployment of temporary police personnel remains especially important in Province 2 as security reports of the Home Ministry has categorised all eight districts in the province as ‘most-sensitive’. That means there are high chances of anti-election activities, including vandalism and clashes in polling station and centres.   

Although the government had hired temporary police for only over a month, their term was extended for 90 days after the government rescheduled the election dates in a few provinces. The government had hired 75,000 police for the local level elections. 

“We will soon take a decision on the requirement of temporary personnel in the third phase of elections based on the security analysis,” said Home Ministry Spokesperson Deepak Kafle.

The Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha’s decision to boycott and disrupt polls and growing activities of the Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN have made situation in Bara, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Parsa, Rautahat, Saptari, Sarlahi and Siraha districts of Province 2 as “most-sensitive”.

Myadis have been deployed for managing voters’ queues and routine patrolling along with other Nepal Police personnel.   

The government had deployed 22,602 temporary police in the first phase of elections on May 14 and another batch of 48,896 in the second phase held on June 28.

The Home Ministry had initially planned to deploy 4,221 temporary police in eight districts, with an additional Myadis to be brought from the Central Regional Police Office and Eastern Regional Police Office. 

Police officials said around 6,000 temporary police personnel might be required to provide security to 511 polling centres and 887 polling stations if the preliminary information provided by the Election Commission to Nepal Police is not revised.

The porous border with India, possession of illegal arms and anti-election activities of the CPN and CK Raut have been considered major threats for the upcoming elections. Also, clashes between the Madhesh-based parties in favour and against the elections are also considered a major challenge.