EC moves to deploy troops for 13 days before and after polls

It writes to the the Armed Forces Division

The Election Commission has written to the Armed Forces Division to mobilise troops to help the civil administration bolster security for a total of 13 days before and after the general election.

A letter was sent to the principal staff officer of the division on Monday.

The EC is taking all possible legal and administrative measures to ensure the 12th national parliamentary elections on Jan 7 are conducted in a free, fair, impartial, and peaceful manner, the letter said.

“The Election Commission has decided that, in aid of the civil authority, armed forces will be deployed to the 300 constituencies … from Dec 29 to Jan 10, before, on the day of, and after the election.”

Based on discussions with the EC, a small advance team of the armed forces will be sent to each district a few days before the election to collect basic data on the communication system, physical infrastructure, and electoral environment of each constituency.

During the 11th national parliamentary elections on Dec 30, 2018, armed forces were deployed to provide security 10 days before and after election day, from Dec 24 to Jan 2.