Two die in election-related violence in Nepal
May 15, 2022
Kathmandu [Nepal], May 15 : Two people were killed in election-related violence in Nepal as the votes continued to be counted on Sunday following the local bodies' election held across the Himalayan nation on Friday.
Violent clashes, mainly over disputes regarding vote counting, were reported post-election at several places in the country.
A 19-year-old youth died of bullet injuries when security personnel opened fire at Sorungchhabise in Katari Municipality-10, Udayapur, on Friday, Kathmandu Post reported.
The deceased, identified as Nabin Katuwal was the nephew of Gaur Bahadur Katuwal, an independent candidate of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN).
According to CPN's district secretary, the security personnel used excessive force when some locals stopped Nepali Congress activists from casting proxy votes.
The authorities said that the security personnel deployed were compelled to take action after an unruly mob of around 50-60 people attempted to loot the ballot boxes, Kathmandu Post reported.
In Solukhumbu, a 35-year-old man died in a violent clash between the activists of Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Centre) at Sotang Rural Municipality-3 on Friday evening.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Sunil Jung Shah, the deceased, identified as Sudip Rai sustained critical head injuries as the Congress activists hurled stones at him. Critically injured Rai died in the course of treatment at Phaplu Hospital, the report said.
Moreover, in Humla, at least three people were injured, one critically, in a violent clash that took place at a vote counting centre in Kharpunath Rural Municipality on Saturday.
The May 13 local election is the second local election since the adoption of the new constitution and the transition to federalism after the promulgation of the new constitution in 2015.
Earlier in 2017, Nepal had first held the local level polls in a gap of about two decades. The CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist Center alliance had secured a majority in the local as well as provincial and federal elections.
As of Saturday evening, the opposition Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) took the lead in the vote count of Nepal's local election registering wins in 4 mayoral posts out of the 753
