Kathmandu, June 28
Polling in the second of Nepal’s civic elections in provinces 1,5 and 7 has concluded amid reports of unprecedented excitement among voters to choose their local representatives. While over half a dozen people over 100 years of age also cast their ballot, youngsters, including first time voters, also turned out in large numbers to exercise their democratic right. A man lost his life after he collapsed while standing in line to vote in Jhapa. However, no life was lost due to poll-related violence, which marred the first phase of elections.
The elections took place despite a boycott by the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal’s call for a boycott in the Terai and that of Netra Bikram Chand’s in the western hill. However, Tingla, a village in Solukhumbu ran a ‘no vote, no candidate’ campaign in protest of the government’s decision to redraw the civic body concerned’s boundaries.
Here we look at seven significant events of the day:
1.
Boycott was failure, RJP-N concedes
Leaders of the newly formed Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal based in province five say the party’s call to boycott the elections has been quashed by the people who were eager to vote. The remarks come a few days after reports suggested that Sarvendra Nath Shukla and Brijesh Kumar Gupta were lobbying for the RJP to contest elections even if its demands were not met.
Read earlier report: People quashed our party’s boycott appeal: RJPN leaders
2.
Voting briefly halted in Rolpa
Voting was briefly halted in Rolpa Municipality-10 of Rolpa after a a voter poured acid into the ballot box. Only four votes had been cast when the incident took place. Authorities resumed polling within a matter of minutes. The burnt votes have been kept as evidence and the voter who allegedly committed the crime arrested. This was the only major disruption that was reported during the whole day.
Read earlier report: Voting briefly halted at Rolpa booth as a voter pours acid in ballot box
3.
Maoist insurgency heartland understands boycotts don’t work
Voters in Thawang village, one of the strongholds of the then Maoist rebels, voted for their civic body four years after they boycotted the Constituent Assembly elections in 2013. The whole village had boycotted the elections in 2013 ‘disillusioned’ by the conduct of the Maoist leaders.
Read earlier report: Thawang actively participates in polls this time
4.
Nine policemen injured in jeep accident
Nine policemen mobilsed for the local elections were injured in Kailali after their jeep fell off the road. Two of the policemen are in critical condition and are receiving treatment at a local hospital. Monsoon rains often make travelling in Nepal difficult with the weather taking a big toll on the road.
Read earlier report: Police jeep escorting PM turns turtle
5.
Community helps visually-impaired family reach polling station
A family, of which every member is suffering from visual impairment, also participated in the second phase of local level elections in Tulsipur of Dang. The family of Chandrabir Wali in Khamari, Tulsipur-3 cast votes from Ranagaun voting centre. A new two-kilometre way was recently repaired to let the family use voting rights.
Read earlier report: Entire family with visual impairment travels two km to cast votes
6.
Entire village boycotts election
Not a single vote was cast in ward 6 of Necha Salyan Rural Municipality in Solukhumbu. Residents of the erstwhile Tingla VDC have been protesting the decision to make it a part of Necha Salyan. They had demanded that the village be made a separate rural municipality. As protest, none of the voters showed up at the polling station.
Read earlier report: ‘No vote, no candidate’ campaign successful in Tingla of Solukhumbu
