Vote Counting Halted in Makwanpur Amidst Dispute Over Ward-Specific Tabulation

Makwanpur. Vote counting for the House of Representatives election has not yet begun in Makwanpur.

The counting process could not commence after a dispute arose during an all-party meeting convened to start the counting. Representatives from the participating parties demanded that votes be counted separately for each ward.

They maintained their stance that ballots must be counted according to the ward so that information on how many votes came from which ward is known. Party representatives stated that counting cannot proceed without all-party consensus.

They also warned that if counting is not done ward-wise, they will not allow the counting to proceed. They raised the question, "If our demands are not met, what is the meaning of an all-party meeting?"

Chief Election Officer Gita Shrestha stated that counting separately by ward cannot be done while keeping in mind voter privacy and security. Election Officer Devendra Acharya also stated that according to election provisions, ballots from more than one ward must be mixed before counting.

It has been stated that counting will only begin after an all-party consensus is reached. In Makwanpur, which has two constituencies for the House of Representatives, 44 candidates are in the race.