Nepal polls see record turnout

Sporadic incidents of violence triggered by the boycotting groups,clashes between rival parties and the capturing of ballot papers were reported from about two dozen places,but the EC largely underplayed those incidents. “We have cancelled today’s poll in one booth in far west Nepal’s Jumla district and ordered re-poll there,” Chief Election Commissioner Neekkantha Uprety said.

In the capital,an 11-year-old boy and two others were wounded when a bomb planted allegedly by the anti-poll groups exploded in Bhote Bahal area. Other incidents of ballot paper-snatching,in which supporters of former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai were involved,were reported from Gorkha. Also,reports of ballot paper snatching were reported from booths in the Tarai area.

Mediapersons,observers and voters had been instructed not to take cameras and mobile phones inside polling booths,which prevented them from collecting physical evidence of any irregularity. The poll was conducted amid tight security. Home Minister Madhav Ghimire himself took command of security supervision,and promised that the government had made fool-proof security arrangements. Around 32,000 observers,including 52 international observers with former US President Jimmy Carter,supervised the elections.

Uprety said the counting in constituencies in the capital and most places,other than the remote ones will begin Wednesday morning,but it may take between one week and ten days for all the results of the 240 seats under the first-past-the-post system and 335 seats under the proportional representation system to be out. The percentage of voters participating in the polls has increased by seven per cent.

India lauds Nepal voters

NEW DELHI: India Tuesday said the early promulgation of a new Constitution reflecting the aspirations of the people in Nepal would contribute to peace and stability in the turmoil-hit country in an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). pti