Votes Counted in Historic Nepal Election

Vote counting in this week’s historic Nepal election was under way Friday with Maoists faring better than expected.

Ballot boxes from the heavy turnout were flown by helicopter and hand-carried by porters to counting centers across the remote Himalayan country, the Voice of America reported.

Initial results show the centrist Nepal Congress Party leading in about half of the districts in the capital. The Maoists, who were expected to do well in many rural areas, were making a better-than-predicted showing in some urban districts.

The 601-member special assembly is mandated to write a new constitution. The assembly is expected to formally put an end to the world’s last Hindu monarchy, making Nepal a republic.

While there were a few incidents of violence, including some casualties, overall it appears that the first election here in nine years occurred with less trouble than predicted.