UML boycotts vote count in Biratnagar as ballot papers were found unsigned by election officer

KATHMANDU, May 19: Vote count of the recently held local level election in Biratnagar Metropolitan City has been halted after the main opposition party, CPN-UML, decided to boycott the process. It has been learnt that 13 ballot papers were found unsigned by the election officer during the vote count of Biratnagar-12. In these ballot papers, eight votes were casted for UML, two for Nepali Congress and three for Janata Samajbadi Party. Due to this, representatives of the UML decided to boycott the vote count. In a bid to solve the problem, the election officer has summoned all the parties for a discussion, according to Hem Budathoki, information officer at the office of chief election officer.