Nepal EC ordered to present 'torn ballot papers' within a week

The Nepal Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission (EC) to present the torn ballot papers from the Bharatpur Metropolitan City's ward 19 before it within a week.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice Gopal Prasad Parajuli and Justice Hari Krishna Karki made the decision to this effect on Tuesday.

The apex court also asked the poll body to file a case against those involved in tearing up the ballot papers within a week and submit its original decision to conduct re-polling.

The court was hearing a writ petition filed by Gunjaman BK, a ward member candidate for Bharatpur-19, and Tulsiram Pandey, an advocate, challenging the election body's decision to conduct re-polling in Ward 19 of Bharatpur Metropolitian City, reports the Kathmandu Post.

The apex court had earlier stayed the Election Commission's decision to conduct re-election in Ward 19 of Bharatpur Metropolitan City.

The apex court has directed the concerned authorities to maintain a status quo on the decision until Sunday.

Earlier, the Election Commission decided to conduct re-polling in Ward 19 of Bharatpur Metropolitan City citing a report submitted by Chitwan chief election officer that showed the counting centre was illegitimately taken under control.

Ballot papers were torn allegedly by the CPN (Maoist Centre) representatives on the night of May 28 when CPN-UML's Devi Gywali was ahead of Maoist Centre's Renu Dahal in the mayoral race of Bharatpur.

The CPN-UML since then had been demanding resumption of vote counting while the Maoist Centre and the Nepali Congress, which had formed an electoral alliance had been calling for re-election.