Over 950 held in Nepal ahead of tomorrow's historic vote

Over 950 people including three Indians have been detained in Nepal for allegedly attempting to disrupt the last phase of the historic provincial and parliamentary polls to be held tomorrow, police said today.

The first phase of the polls in the land-locked country was successfully held in 32 districts on November 26.

A total of 957 people belonging to different political parties have been arrested on charges of attacking leaders, candidates and cadres, police said.

Of them, 600 are associated with the CPN-Maoist party, a breakaway Maoist faction, they said.

Three Indians and eight Nepalese were detained in Saptari district for their involvement in anti-elections activities, the police said, adding that firearms have also been seized from their possession.
 

Polling for 128 constituencies of Parliament's House of Representatives and 256 seats of Provincial Assemblies will be held tomorrow in 45 districts.

Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place to conduct elections in a free, fair and peaceful manner, the Election Commission said.

In total 4,482 candidates including Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba will be trying their fate in the final phase.

As many as 15,344 polling centres have been set out for more than 12.2 million voters.

According to Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhyee Prasad Yadav, 400 international observers and 45,000 national observers have been monitoring the elections.

Polling will begin at 7 AM and continue till 5 PM.

The Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML, the CPN-Maoist Centre and the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal, a key Madhesi party, are the main competitors.

"Police personnel are committed to ensuring the security of candidates and voters so as to make the elections successful," Nepal Police spokesperson Manoj Neupane said.

"The Nepal Police has deputed booth security squads, mobile teams and security personnel in plain clothes for the purpose of election security," he added.

The elections are being seen as the final step in Nepal's transition to a federal democracy following a decade-long civil war till 2006 that claimed more than 16,000 lives.