Election Commission estimates 64% voter turnout; election rescheduled in 44 voting centres

Kathmandu / May 13: The Election Commission has estimated that around 64 percent of the voters used their voting rights in the election of local government held today.

Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya informed that the estimate did not meet his expectation.

Nepal voted for most of the 753 local governments as a part of its nationwide local elections held after five years, on Friday.

Elections in a few local units, however, have been cancelled and rescheduled for the next dates owing to cases of violence. The constitutional body had registered 17.73 million voters for the local elections this time.

The commission says the vote count will begin tonight itself in a few local units whereas others will begin the count on Saturday. The commission plans to publish the results of all the units within one week.

The poll body has cancelled elections at 44 voting centres including those in Guthichaur of Jumla, Panchkhal of Kavre, Khandadevi of Ramechhap, Phatuwa Bijayapur of Rautahat, and Dakneshwari of Saptari. The commission will conduct voting at these places within one week.

Election Officer Ishwari Prasad Paudyal viewed the poll as normal, but it could not be termed very exciting.

Talking to media, commissioner Paudel said, “We felt a lack of security in some places. This was not the situation in the local poll held in 2017 because then the poll was held in three phases.