Turnout low in Nepal's municipal elections (Xinhua) Updated: 2006-02-09 09:12
Very few voters turned up across Nepal to cast their ballots for the
municipal elections on Wednesday.
According to the Election Commission (EC), by 12:00 a.m. local time (0415
GMT), only 10 percent of the voters have cast their votes in the eastern town of
Biratnagar.
In Dhanusha, only 3,481 or nearly 8 percent of the voters have cast their
votes by noon. Similarly, in the western town of Dailekh, only 12 percent of the
voters have cast their votes.
In Malangawa municipality in Sarlahi district, voter turnout was over 35
percent by Wednesday noon.
EC spokesman Tejmuni Bajracharya told reporters that the situation had not
been normal for voting in eastern town of Dhankuta and mid-western district of
Dang for polling. The guerrillas mounted attacks at Dhankuta municipality on
Tuesday night.
Very few voters turned out to cast their votes in Kathmandu also.
Polling officers at the Cooperatives Training Center polling booth in
Kathmandu said only 203 out of 1,847 voters have cast their votes by 1:00 p.m.
(0515 GMT) on Wednesday.
"Unlike in the past, voters turnout this time is quite low," he added.
There was heavy security at the polling center and security personnel were
also stationed at nearby houses of local people. Army vans ran frequently in
streets while other vehicles are banned for Wednesday.
Altogether 1.4 million voters are eligible to cast their votes during the
elections underway in 36 municipalities of 28 districts.
There are 40,000 election centers across the country and 7,698 employees have
been mobilized for the purpose, according to the EC.
The polls will elect 34 mayors, 25 deputy-mayors, 197 Ward chairpersons, 291
Ward members and 71 women Ward members.
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