Nepal votes in first local elections after 2 decades

Millions of Nepalese on Sunday voted in the country’s first local-level polls in two decades as the Himalayan nation took a crucial step towards cementing democracy amid political turmoil.

Authorities recorded a 71 per cent voter turnout with sporadic election-related violence reported and one person killed in police firing in Dolakha district, 120 km east of Kathmandu.

The election commission has postponed polling in three centres, one each in Kavre, Kalikot and Dolakha districts.

Date for fresh voting will be announced shortly, officials

said.

“First phase of local poll passes peacefully with estimated 71 per cent turnout,” the election commission said.

The voting took place in almost 18,438 polling centres.

Chief election commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav thanked the voters for the overwhelming participation in the local- level elections.

He said voting was conducted in a free and fair manner. “The first phase have concluded in a peaceful manner.”

Ballot boxes from remote locations are being airlifted to the respective headquarters in some districts, he said.

Vote counting in Kathmandu and Lalitpur are expected to begin tonight while counting in other parts of the countries are likely to begin tomorrow morning.

Nearly 50,000 candidates are vying for the position of mayor, deputy mayor, ward chairman and ward member in 281 municipalities.

Batuli Lamichhane, 115, was the oldest person to cast his vote. He voted at the polling centre at Matra village in Nuwakot district, the election commission said.

Nearly 50,000 candidates are vying for the position of mayor, deputy mayor, ward chairman and ward member in 281 municipalities

— AP Nepal Army’s bomb disposal team detonate explosives during the local elections in Bhaktapur, Nepal, on Sunday. Two explosive devices were planted across from a candidate’s house.