The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)–UCPNM– has declared that it is likely to be out of the Constituent Assembly being elected if the current vote counting is not postponed and investigation launched following their formal complaint about nationwide rigging done while the ballot boxes were being moved from the polling stations to counting centers without letting party representatives accompany. The UCPNM has also attributed the rigging to doubtful delay of transporting the ballot boxes to the counting centers.
The UCPNM Chairperson Prachanda addressing a press conference Thursday told reporters that they felt serious and subtle conspiracy against them.
The UCPNM withdrew from the vote counting process Wednesday night, requesting the Election Commission to postpone for investigation of the obvious irregularities seen.
However, the other parties leading in vote counting have denied any rigging through bureaucracy and security mechanisms. The Election Commission has already refused to consider the lodged complaint.
The new development in Nepal’s political situation seems to further complicate the ongoing peace process that does not reach a logical end without a new constitution based on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the former Maoist rebels and the other parliamentary parties on 21 November 2006.