Security Council recommends army deployment for election safety
The National Security Council has recommended the government to deploy the Nepali Army for election security scheduled to take place on March 5. The Kathmandu Post
What the Security Council decided
The National Security Council has recommended the government to deploy the Nepali Army for election security scheduled to take place on March 5.
On the Cabinet’s recommendation, President Ramchandra Paudel will authorise the government to deploy the army in the polls. Article 266 of the constitution mandates recommending the force’s deployment by the council to the Cabinet.
A meeting of the council on Thursday made a decision to this effect, according to a statement issued after the meeting.
Defence Secretary Suman Raj Aryal, who is member-secretary of the council, stated that the 41st meeting of the council decided to recommend to the government the deployment of the Nepali Army for the House of Representatives election scheduled for March. The Kathmandu Post
Integrated Election Security Plan and planned mobilization
With the approval of the security action plan by the Security Committee, the National Security Council will now have to recommend to the Council of Ministers for the mobilization of the Army.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the integrated security plan for the elections and dispatched them to all 77 district administration offices for implementation. As per the integrated security plan, all 77 district administration offices will formulate a security plan where personnel belonging to all four security agencies and temporary police, will be deployed in each pool. The Kathmandu Post
The government is set to mobilize around 3.25 lakh security personnel for the upcoming House of Representatives elections. A meeting of the Security Committee chaired by Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal has decided to mobilize 314,000 security personnel for the elections scheduled for 21 Falgun. Around 130,000 temporary police officers will be recruited for this purpose.
According to a Home Ministry source, about 79,000 Nepali Army personnel, about 72,000 Nepal Police personnel, 33,000 Armed Police personnel and 130,000 temporary police personnel will be mobilized for election security. The Security Committee meeting on Sunday approved the ‘Integrated Security Plan-2082’ for the election and decided to mobilize the Army, Police, Armed Police Force, National Investigation Department and Temporary Police. Ekantipur
Background: the September unrest and human-rights concerns
Security forces in Nepal used disproportionate force against youth-led protests on September 8, 2025, Human Rights Watch said. Human Rights Watch found that police indiscriminately fired on protesters multiple times over three hours, killing seventeen people in Kathmandu who had been demonstrating against corruption and a social media ban; the group urged independent, transparent investigations and accountability for unlawful acts committed by both security forces and others during the two days of violence.
Human Rights Watch also noted that a judicial commission was created to investigate the deaths of at least 76 people killed nationwide in the two days of violence, and that investigations must be independent, time-bound and transparent to succeed. Human Rights Watch
The integrated security plan and the National Security Council’s recommendation to mobilize the army come against this recent backdrop of unrest, looted weapons, prison breaks and targeted attacks on government buildings and media reported during the September disturbances. Ekantipur The Kathmandu Post Human Rights Watch
What officials and the council highlighted
The council has decided to recommend to the government the deployment of the army to ensure the election is conducted in a fair manner and an atmosphere free of intimidation, read the statement issued by Defence Secretary Suman Raj Aryal.
The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Sushila Karki, included Council members—Minister for Finance Rameshore Khanal, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, Chief Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal, Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashok Raj Sigdel, and Defence Secretary Aryal—and discussed the emerging security situation and potential challenges to the elections, including clashes between political groups and Gen Z supporters. The Kathmandu Post
Accountability and oversight notes
Human Rights Watch emphasised that criminal justice authorities should investigate any credible allegations of criminal acts contributing to the violence and that the commission created to investigate the events of September 8 and 9 should examine the role of security forces and credible allegations of infiltration and criminal acts contributing to violence. As of November 10, police had arrested hundreds alleged to be responsible for violence, but action against officers alleged to have unlawfully opened fire was not known. Human Rights Watch
Start the Conversation
- What concerns or reassurances does the army deployment for March elections raise for you locally?
- How should Nepal balance election security with safeguards for civil liberties and independent investigations?
- Do you think the Integrated Election Security Plan-2082 addresses the main risks identified after the September unrest?
- What role should independent monitors and the judiciary play while security forces are mobilized?
- How can political parties, civil society and youth movements help reduce tensions ahead of the polls?
Sources: The Kathmandu Post, Ekantipur, Human Rights Watch