CA polls held peacefully, over 60% casts vote

Historic Constituent Assembly (CA) polls held on Thursday (April 10, 2008) have passed by smoothly and peacefully with a huge 60 percent turnout of voters at the polling booths across the country.

According to the Election Commission (EC), over 60 percent of the totel 17.6 million eligible voters exercised their rights at 239 of the 240 electoral constituencies to elect a Constituent Assembly which would draft the country’s new constitution.

The crucial election went smoothly and peacefully across the country with some sporadic incidents of violence at few polling booths in the country, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Bhoj Raj Pokhrel after the completion of the polls said.

Two persons, including an independent candidate from Sarlahi-6, were killed and polling was cancelled in 33 of the 20,889 polling stations.

“These numbers are far below than what was anticipated widely,” CEC Pokhrel said in a press conference organised by EC shortly after the election ended on Thursday.

The EC informed that the elections had to be postponed in those areas as some party cadres tried to capture booths, blank-fired and chased the voters away from the booths.

The EC also extended gratitude to all voters, the government, political parties, candidates, election staff, teachers, security personnel, civil society, national and international observers, media and entire international community who helped to make this election a success.

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Photo: An elderly women casting her vote in a booth of Bhaktapur constituency No 1. Most of the women and elderly people casted their vote during early hours of election fearing violence.