Record Turnout In Nepal Polls

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KATHMANDU – Voting forNepal’s 601-member constituentassembly-cum-parliamenton Tuesday was largelypeaceful and saw the highestever turnout in the country’selection history, according to theElection Commission andmedia reports.The new assemblywill draft a constitution.According to preliminary estimatesvoterturnout hasbeen 70% andit could go ashigh as 80%,chief electioncommissionerN e e l k a n t h aUpreti told apress meet.An eight-yearoldboy was injured inKathmandu when an object hewas playing with exploded. Hehad found the ‘bomb’ on a streetand taken it to be a toy. Policespokesman Ganesh K C said theboy’s injury was not serious.No vote was cast in Thawangvillage in Rolpa district, theheart of the Maoist insurgency,in western Nepal. Police had toresort to blank firing in threeplaces and three people, whowere found with explosive-makingmaterials, were arrested inDang district, about 350 kmsouthwest of capitalKathmandu.