Violence swells as election nears

KATHMANDU, OCT 29 - As the much-anticipated Constituent Assembly (CA) election nears, the rising anti-election activities have posed a serious challenge to security arrangements that are being made. The Kathmandu valley, where security is believed to be tighter, on Monday witnessed arson and violence when two vehicles used by election candidates were set on fire. A vehicle belonging to central committee member of the Nepali Congress (NC), Narahari Acharya, was torched by a group of unidentified persons in motorcycles near Krishna Mandir at Dhapasi. Acharya is contesting the November 19 election from Kathmandu-5 under the first-past-the- post system. The same morning, a vehicle used by CPN-UML leader Rajendra Pandey was set on fire in front of the Narayanhiti museum’s northern gate. Also on Monday, an unidentified group of people tried to torch a vehicle used by NC President Sushil Koirala for his poll campaign in Nepalgunj. Flames on the vehicle were doused right away by onlookers outside the party office at Surkhet Road. Koirala has been electioneering in Banke-3. Experts view the failure of the government to provide proper security to a top party leader as a serious security lapse. “It is a matter of concern that the government has failed to provide better security for a party chief.”

source: www.ekantipur.com