ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Sporadic violence, low turnout mar Nepal's elections

Nepalese people cast their vote during the general election in Lalitpur, Nepal, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha) Nepalese people cast their vote during the general election in Lalitpur, Nepal, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Share
KATHMANDU, Nepal -

Sporadic violence and lower-than-expected turnout on Sunday marred Nepal's parliamentary elections, which many hoped would bring political stability in the Himalayan nation that has changed 13 governments in the last 16 years.

One person was killed, two were wounded and voting stopped in at least 15 places, said Nepal's Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya. He said that elections would be repeated in those locations in the next two days while counting of votes in most places, including capital Kathmandu, will start Sunday night.

It wasn't immediately clear what triggered the violence.

Army helicopters will fly ballot boxes from remote mountain villages to district capitals on Monday, he said.

Turnout was estimated at 61%, which he said was lower than anticipated.

The main contestants in Sunday's election were the ruling alliance of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's Nepali Congress party and the Maoist communist party, which were running against the Nepal Communist Party (United Marxist-Leninist), headed by former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli.

Security was stepped up across the country as a separate communist group, known for violence in the past, called for boycotting the polls and threatened to disrupt the election.

Sunday was declared a national holiday and vehicles were barred from the streets.

"The new government should be focused on development, it should be able to work, determined to develop the country, and be in touch with the people," said Ravi Shrestha, a retired government worker who was among the first ones to vote in Kathmandu.

"We need young leaders. We have seen the old generation work but now we need to see new people, new faces, new talent to come up, which is the desire of the people," Shrestha said.

Frequent changes in government and squabbles among parties have been blamed for a slow economy. Many voters say they are tired of the same leaders retaining power and failing to deliver on promises to improve lives while the country makes little progress.

"I am here to make sure that we elect good people who are able to work for the upliftment of the country and who are not corrupt," said businessman Manik Man Tamrakas.

Election results are likely to take days, if not weeks. Once all votes are counted, the 275 elected members of Parliament will chose a prime minister who will have to get the support of half the chamber.

The next government, likely a coalition, will face challenges of keeping a stable administration, reviving the tourism industry and balancing the relationship between two neighbouring giants -- China and India.

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

BREAKING

BREAKING

A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

Local Spotlight

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.