Nepal votes in second phase of local polls

Kathmandu, June 28 (IANS) Nepal on Wednesday voted in the second round of local elections with 70.5 per cent turnout to choose municipal and village councils, the Election Commission said.

Voting took place in three of Nepal's seven provinces. Three other provinces held elections last month, and another one will vote in September, the Kathmandu Post reported. More than 62,000 candidates are contesting for 15,038 positions.

The election was conducted in a largely peaceful manner, with a few incidents of violence and disruption in some places, said Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav.

The counting of votes will start as soon as the ballot boxes reach the counting centres, he added. The voting began at 7 a.m. in almost all of a total 8,364 polling centres and concluded at 5 p.m.

Bajura district recorded the highest 80 per cent voter turnout while Bhojpur saw the lowest 61 per cent turnout.

The local elections -- the first in Nepal since 1997 -- mark an attempt by the government to restore democracy in the country hit by a decade-long civil war that ended in 2006 and years of instability after the monarchy was abolished in 2008.

The second phase of local polls had been postponed twice and a third phase was later declared in a bid to accomodate dissenting ethnic groups, including the Madhesis who said their demand for more territory in their province needs to be addressed first.

The government has been trying to convince the Madhesis to join the elections, postponing voting in their province to September 18 in hopes of reaching an agreement.

"This election will empower local bodies and open the floodgate of social and economic prosperity," President Bidya Devi Bhandari said in a statement.

At least 71 per cent voters had turned out in the first phase of local level elections on May 14. The final voting round of local polls is set for September 18 and would be held in eight districts including Parsa, Bara, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Dhanusha, Siraha and Saptari.

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