BHAKTAPUR, May 20: Vote counting in the Changunarayan Municipality, Bhaktapur has been halted until further notice. With this decision taken Saturday, the vote counting centre has been sealed. 

The Nepali Congress (NC), Rastriya Prajatantra Party ( RPP) and Nepal Workers and Peasants Party ( NWPP) obstructed the vote counting citing lack of 'fairness' and 'transparency' in the vote counting process. 

The three parties have accused employees in the vote counting team of being close to the CPN (UML) and 'unethical favor' to the party. Their claim is that votes cast for NC and NWPP were included in the UML's name. 

There was a schedule of announcing the final results of the vote counting at 7:00 am Saturday if things had gone as per the plan, said RPP representative Rajib Lamichhane from the counting centre. 

The three parties have demanded reshuffle in the vote counting team and recounting of votes, he added. 

However, the CPN (UML), in its reaction to the obstruction from the three parties, said the three parties obstructed the vote counting as they were anxious following the UML's victory at the wards no. 3 and 4 of the Municipality. 

An all-party meeting is underway along with the participation of Chief District Officer Drona Pokhrel and District Chief Election Officer Bhojraj Sharma to find a solution to the problem. 

If the meeting failed to find a solution, we would move ahead as per the decision of the Election Commission, CDO Pokhrel said. 

Police confirmed sealing off the vote counting chamber since Saturday afternoon, following the obstruction from the three political parties. RSS 

 
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• vote counting center sealed