Kathmandu, February 8, 2006

The nation today saw low voter turnout. Accordingly, the capital city of Kathmandu and surrounding municipalities witnessed a thin voter turnout. Only 14 per cent of the voters cast their ballots in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Among three municipalities, Lalitpur sub-metropolitan city, Madhyapur Thimi municipality and Kirtipur municipality registered 18, 13 and 33 per cent voter turnout respectively. In Kathmandu, 45003 of 300935 voters cast votes. In Lalitpur, 16626 of 91440 voters cast votes. Similarly, 3793 of 29991 voters voted in Madhyapur Thimi Municipality. In Kirtipur Municipality, out of 23831 voters, only 7870 cast their votes, according to the EC. Bhaktapur Municipality did not have election today as the vital posts were declared filled unopposed. By 4.30 pm, only 105 voters of 1271 voters cast their ballots in a booth in Nepal Commerce Campus at Min Bhawan. Among 1240 and 1281 voters at two booths respectively of Ratna Rajya High School, only 181 and 145 voters cast their votes by 4.20 pm. Around 365 of 1370 voters registered turned up to exercise their franchise in Bhimsen Gola booth and only 355 votes were cast at Bed Bidhyashram at Pashupati, a booth with 2900 registered voters. Among some 30 polling stations observed by reporters of this daily, most of them accounted for only 300-500 voters out of the registered 12,00-2,000 voters. Home Minister Kamal Thapa today expressed satisfaction at the “successful conduct” of the elections. Rajaram Shrestha, a contestant for mayor’s post from KMC, said the vote casting was “satisfactory”. “Despite hurdles, people came to the polling booths,” he said.

ADB backing gives boost to fast track road plan

Kathmandu, February 8, 2006

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has decided to send a technical mission to Nepal to conduct a feasibility study of the Kathmandu-Hetauda fast track road. The news of the mission’s arrival, which will be formally announced in the forseeable future, comes as a reprieve for the project which was envisioned in 1996.

The latest development suggests that the feasibility study of the proposed road linking the capital with Hetauda may start only next year. This comes at a time when some people involved with the undertaking appeared to have given up hope of the project picking up speed as the government was yet to receive any kind of commitment from donor agencies to fund the feasibility study. The mission will be arriving in the first week of March and will conduct the technical assistance study that concerns the alignment of the road. “The ADB’s decision to send a mission to Nepal is a welcome news.