KATHMANDU, July 1: With discrepancies in the numbers of ballot papers at vote counting centers, the Election Commission (EC) has instructed election officers at the local units not to recognize ballot papers other than those sealed in the ballot boxes.
A board meeting of the EC decided to issue instructions to this effect after conflicting numbers of ballot papers were found at various vote counting centers in the course of the vote count. "Complaints are being received regarding the actual number of ballot papers at the counting centers. There are differences between the number of ballots in the sealed ballot boxes and the number of ballot papers at hand after the completion of the counting," said EC Spokesperson Surya Prasad Sharma.
Ballot box safety a huge worry
Vote continuing has been affected at some local units due to differences among political parties contesting the elections. Spokesperson Sharma said the election officers are being asked not to count ballot papers other than those sealed in the ballot boxes.
As disputes among the parties have delayed the vote counting, the election body has also asked the polling officers to complete the vote counting in the presence of eyewitnesses even if any candidate or political party representative walks out of the counting center over disagreement with the vote counting.
