Saturday, May 26, 2012

Security forces put on high alert

 The three security agencies under the Home Ministry have been put on high alert to prevent possible violence in case Constituent Assembly (CA) is dissolved. 

One third of police in the Valley have been mobilized in the area around the CA premises in Baneshwar assessing the next 24 hours to be critical. Reserve and strike forces have also been kept on alert to assist them if required. 

Nepal Police, Armed Police Force (APF) and Central Investigation Department under the Home Ministry have been jointly mobilized with a Nepal Army representative coordinating their plans. The security agencies have received information that a few groups were prepared to protest, believing an incomplete constitution would be drafted, if it is drafted at all, while others were active to incite communal violence by capitalizing on these protests. 

A joint security command post will be formed at the Home Ministry with ministry officials, representatives of the army and all three bodies under the ministry. Similar command posts will also be in place in all the districts. Such command post in the Valley will be kept at the Metropolitan Police Commissioner´s Office in Ranipokhari, Kathmandu. The command posts including Nepal Army representatives will mobilize commanders on the field to assess the prevailing security situation. 

Separate command posts will also be in place at the Nepal Police and APF headquarters. "A matured security plan has been implemented considering analysis of all possible security challenges," Nepal Police Spokesperson DIG Binod Singh said. 

The Home Ministry has been implementing security strategy since mid-April and has been adjusting the strategy based on 15-day security analysis. Security sources said the regular weekly meeting of the central security committee held on Friday was also being held on Monday in the last couple of weeks. 

Three different plans
The security agencies have made three different plans anticipating three different eventualities on Sunday, according to security sources. Plan A includes handling the challenges that may result if the constitution is drafted. Plan B deals with the challenges that may arise immediately after dissolution of the CA and Plan C with normal situation.

The security officers do not anticipate big security threats if the constitution is drafted reasoning that a few unsatisfied groups taking to streets would not pose serious security challenges. There may be attempts to flare the situation through infiltrations in the protests but the officers do not see that as a big threat. 

They expect the most serious challenge if the constitution is not drafted. They expect that groups may try to fuel violence capitalizing on the uncertainty and political vacuum after CA dissolution. "The current ethnic division will add direct challenges if the constitution is not drafted," a DIG with Nepal Police said. 

The officers fear that there may also be confusion about official orders if dispute over the legitimacy of the existing government continued after the CA dissolution. A senior security officer claimed that they were mentally prepared on what to do if the president and prime minister emerged as parallel power centers in such a scenario. 

Nepal Army has been carrying out an advisory role in the present scenario as a coordinator. The army intelligence doesn´t expect the situation to deteriorate to the extent that requires clamping curfew or declaration of state of emergency. Their role will change in case of emergency or curfew.


Source myrepublica

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