Political parties, candidates urged to cooperate in vote counting

KATHMANDU: The Election Commission has again urged the political parties, candidates, the representatives of the candidates and all stakeholders to extend necessary cooperation from their side to speed up the counting of votes.

The EC stated that the chief election officers and election officers concerned have already been instructed to speed up the vote counting by forming the required number of vote counting teams in coordination with the political parties and candidates so as to provide the results of the vote counting under the second phase local level elections at the earliest.

EC spokesman Surya Prasad Sharma said that poll results of  Kanda and Masta rural municipalities in Bajhang,  Pandavgupha rural municipality in Bajura,  Chichila and Silichiong rural municipalities in Sankhuwasabha, and  Likhupike rural municipality in Solukhumbu have been declared.

Vote counting in all 335 local levels under the second phase of  local level elections held on June 28 is underway except in one local level each in Taplejung, Solukhumbu, Gulmi, Dang, Kailali and Bajhang districts and two local levels in Achham district, the Election Commission  has stated.

It is said the counting of votes has been delayed in these local levels as ballot boxes from one polling centre is yet to reach the vote counting centre in Taplejung while the process for reaching political agreement for counting was underway in the rest of the districts.

The Election Commisison also stated that voting is taking place in a peaceful manner since 8 am today at Kotahimahi rural municipality -1 and at the Pandu Secondary School polling centre at Jayaprithvi Municipality-3 in Bajhang district, where the voting was suspended on June 28.