The government transferred four chief district officers (CDOs) on Tuesday, just five days before the scheduled first phase of provincial and federal elections, charging them with “non-cooperation” in security arrangement for polls.

CDOs of Solukhumbu, Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Bhojpur have been transferred where elections will be held on Sunday. Home Ministry Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Sharma confirmed the transfers but refused to give details.

Bhupendra Thapa of Solukhumbu has been replaced by Sunil Khanal while Birendra Yadav has been sent to Nuwakot in place of Jagadish Raj Baral. Similarly, Chomendra Neupane will replace Hari Devi Poudel in Rasuwa. The government is yet to appoint the CDO for Bhojpur. Election Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Shah, however, said the Election Commission (EC) had given the consent for transferring Nuwakot CDO only.

“We do not have information about [CDO] transfers in other districts,” said Shah. At a high-level meeting of security officials in the presence of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Monday, Home Ministry officials had complained about “non-cooperation from some CDOs”. Election Commissioner Shah in the same meeting had said that the EC would not object to transfers of CDOs and police officials if “they were not cooperating”. (PR)