Kathmandu: As many as 1100 delegates have cast their votes during the 11th National Congress of the CPN (UML) to elect a new leadership. The voting, which is taking place at the Congress site in Bhrikutimandap, saw the participation of these delegates by 7:00 pm on Wednesday, according to UML central election commission vice-chairperson Sanuraj Pokharel.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the voting process commenced at 9:12 am and has witnessed a varied duration of voting times, ranging from nine minutes to two hours and five minutes for each voter. On average, voters are taking approximately 25 to 30 minutes to complete their voting process. Provisions are in place to accommodate delegates entering the voting center by 8:00 pm to ensure they can cast their votes.
The leadership race within the party features groups led by sitting Chairperson KP Sharma Oli and senior Vice Chairperson Iswor Pokharel. A total of 642 candidates have registered for candidacy to fill the 301 central member positions available. The election utilizes eight e-voting machines to facilitate the process.
The commission has assured that the results of the voting will be announced two hours after the conclusion of the voting process. A total of 2,263 delegates are participating in the UML National Congress.