Kathmandu: Lawmakers have cautioned that the upcoming House of Representatives elections cannot be conducted in a clean, fair and fear-free environment unless the government recovers looted weapons and arrests thousands of escaped prisoners still at large.

Speaking at the meeting of the National Assembly’s Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee, members of Parliament drew attention to the persistent security risks posed by weapons stolen during the Gen-G movement and the widespread issue of prison escapees.

CPN (UML) lawmaker Rukmini Koirala questioned how a peaceful election could be expected while armed criminals remain in society. Similarly, Nepali Congress lawmaker Yubaraj Sharma raised concerns over the legitimacy of the election process when violence is escalating and political parties are being restricted from holding peaceful programs in the name of Gen-G.

Many lawmakers criticized the government for failing to adequately prepare for the election scheduled for 21 Falgun, stating that the administration has not ensured minimum security guarantees.

They stressed that unless the government launches a special campaign to recover looted weapons and rapidly apprehend escaped prisoners, holding the election on the announced date would be impossible.