Counting of votes in municipal elections
(9 Feb 2006)
1. Wide of gate guarded by soldiers
2. Medium shot armed soldiers outside gate
3. Medium interior shot of soldier in voting centre
4. Medium close shot of ballots being counted
5. Medium shot of ballots being counted
6. Close up ballot
7. Medium shot men casting votes
8. Medium close shot of ballot counter
9. Close up shot of white bag being sealed
10. Medium shot interior voting centre
11. Medium shot exterior of voting centre
STORYLINE:
Ballots were being counted in Katmandu on Thursday, with initial results showing pro-government candidates in Nepal sweeping local elections.
The elections on Wednesday were for the relatively powerless posts of mayor and local council member in the capital, and the dearth of voters at the polls was considered a more important indicator of popular sentiment than the election results themselves.
Nevertheless, the elections were marred by rebel attacks, soldiers shooting protesters, low turnout and a boycott by most politicians to protest the king's absolute rule.
In initial returns for 15 of the 36 cities and towns where polls were held, the pro-government Rastriya Prajatantra Party won ten mayoralties, the pro-government Nepal Sadbhawana won two and independent candidates won three, the Election Commission said.
Six people were killed in violence on election day, among them a protester shot by soldiers during the vote, which the United States called "a hollow attempt" by King Gyanendra to solidify power.
A coalition of the country's seven main political parties shunned the elections to protest the king's seizure of power just over a year ago, when he promised to bring the country's Maoist insurgency under control.
However, rebel attacks continued, and have intensified in recent weeks.
Many voters said they were scared away from the polling by the Maoists' call for a general strike and their threats to kill anyone who took part, as well as a government warning that it would shoot anyone caught disrupting the elections.
In the southwestern town of Dang, the army said soldiers were forced to open fire on some 150 protesters trying to interfere with the vote, killing one and injuring another.
A protest rally was planned in Katmandu on Thursday to protest the shooting.
Chief Election Commissioner Keshav Raj Rajbhandari said turnout was estimated at over 20 percent, but that the final figure was still being tabulated.
Billed by the royal government as a step back towards democracy, the municipal elections were intended to solidify King Gyanendra's position in a power struggle that has pitted the monarchy against the rebels and political parties, who have teamed up to press for democracy.
However, the polling drew candidates for less than half of the country's 4-thousand mayoral and local council seats.
Twenty-two of the country's municipalities held no voting because they either lacked candidates or had contenders running unopposed.
Hours before voting opened, Maoist rebels killed a policeman and civilian, bombed 12 government buildings and destroyed the local bank in the eastern town of Dhankuta
The royal government rounded up hundreds of politicians, activists and journalists in the weeks before the elections, and on Wednesday morning, police arrested about 30 politicians and activists who were trying to organise protests in an eastern border town.
The Maoist insurgents' decade-long fight for a communist state has cost 12,000 lives.
Fighting has persisted under Gyanendra's rule, and the economy in the Himalayan nation of 27 million people has only worsened.
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: / ap_archive
Facebook: / aparchives
Instagram: / apnews
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
Смотрите видео Counting of votes in municipal elections онлайн без регистрации, длительностью часов минут секунд в хорошем качестве. Это видео добавил пользователь AP Archive 30 Июль 2015, не забудьте поделиться им ссылкой с друзьями и знакомыми, на нашем сайте его посмотрели 486 раз и оно понравилось 1 людям.