Maoists Take Majority of Counted Votes in Nepal

by Rob Walker | April 14, 2008 at 04:40 pm | 220 views | 3 comments

For the first time, the Nepalese were allowed to vote to determine the direction of their country.

No one could have foreseen that the majority would vote for the Maoists, the rebels whose failed insurgency killed over 13,000 people.

Now it remains to see if the Maoists will follow their promises and lead Nepal into a democratic age.

Read previous NowPublic coverage here:

As of late night today while vote count continues in many constituencies around the country while some will see repolling in the next few days (out of 240 constituencies). Maoists: 110 seats; NC 32; UML 27 Plus, there is also a terrorist who got elected, thanks do democracy!

The historical election to the Constituent Assembly has surely thrown a lot of surprises so far. With underdogs securing a significant number of votes, unlike what was anticipated, some of the ‘major’ and many corrupt figures of Nepali politics have been ousted. The CPN-Maoists, who did not join the government until January 2007, has continued to lead in the CA polls results on the fourth day of vote count, registering victory at 110 seats so far.

A major party in Nepali politics, Nepali Congress has won in 32 constituencies, while the CPN-UML has been able to secure 27 seats.

Similarly, Madhes-based parties Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF), Terai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP or Ta Ma Lo Pa) and Rajendra Mahato-led Nepal Sadbhawana Party (NSP) have won 18, 5 and 2 seats respectively.

Girija tried to avoid elections and was successful for 10 years, Ian Martin tried to bungle the security, the YCL tried to kill them, Madhav Kumar Nepal tried to cheat them, but in the end, elections were held; and one man, kept his cool and pulled off what was thought to be impossible: Any kind of National initiative.

Who was this man that, for at least one day got all Nepali's to think about their country all at once? It was blogdai's nominee for the next Prime Minister of Nepal:

Barely two years after ending an armed insurgency that killed more than 13,000 people, Nepal's former Maoists rebels have stunned themselves, the Nepalese people, and the world with a landslide win in constituent assembly elections that could profoundly change Nepali politics.
The goal of last Thursday's election was to fulfill two Maoist demands: write a new Constitution and end the country's 240-year monarchy. But concerns are growing that Nepal's moderate political parties – which coaxed the Maoists into mainstream politics and forgave past atrocities in the interests of peace – might be sidelined and a more radical agenda prevail.