All-out efforts on to ensure safe, free election: PM Karki

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Sushila Karki has said the government was making all-out efforts to ensure safe, free and fair elections.

During the meeting a delegation of the Asian Network for Free Election (ANFREL) had with her on Thursday, PM Karki vowed government will create utmost security arrangements for free and fair elections.

ANFREL is a network of international election observers having its secretariat in Bangkok, Thailand. The delegation led by the Executive Director at the ANFREL secretariat, Brizza Rosales, arrived in Kathmandu to assess the election atmosphere in Nepal.

The delegation members hoped Nepal would have a free and fair election under the government that is led by a long-time judge and Chief Justice of the country. The current PM’s long experience in the legal and judicial sector would be helpful to political reform and the protection of democratic institutions in Nepal, they added.

With the interest shown by the international observers towards Nepal’s election, it feels the atmosphere for the democratic exercise, PM Karki said in response.

“Major mandate of this government is to hold the March 5 election, so we’re engrossed on it. Even the civil society and observers have roles in creating an atmosphere conducive to election. Your presence has given a sense of election environment,” she added.

The ANFREL delegation was also joined by the office bearers and members of the National Election Observers’ Committee (NEOC). They suggested the government that it launched massive awareness on voting, for the number of youths casting votes for the first time is huge.

The government has intensified preparations for the March 5 election to the House of Representatives (HoR).