KATHMANDU: Senior leaders and elderly delegates have faced difficulties during the voting process at the 11th General Convention of the UML, as the electronic voting system posed challenges for those unfamiliar with new technology.
Although there is no risk of ballots being invalidated under the electronic voting system, several senior leaders have struggled to cast their votes smoothly, election officials said. While the estimated time for each voter to complete the process was 30 to 35 minutes, some delegates reportedly took close to an hour.
A member of the Central Election Commission told Khabarhub that delegates who are not updated with modern technology faced significant difficulties during voting.
“Those who are not comfortable with reading instructions or using electronic systems, especially senior leaders, are facing problems. Some have not been able to complete voting even within an hour,” the commission member said. “There is no chance of vote invalidation, but those accustomed to stamping paper ballots are finding the process challenging. The facilitation mechanism for such voters is insufficient.”
Despite the challenges, voting has continued at the convention venue with technical teams providing limited assistance to delegates in need.
The contest for the party’s top post has drawn particular attention, with incumbent Chair KP Sharma Oli and senior leader Ishwar Pokharel competing for the position. According to Central Election Commission member Sanu Raja Pokharel, both Oli and Pokharel took around 55 minutes each to cast their votes.
Following the commencement of the voting process, Oli and Pokharel were the first candidates to cast their ballots, setting the process in motion.
A total of 2,263 delegates are eligible to vote in the convention, which is being held to elect new leadership and members of key party bodies.
While the introduction of electronic voting is seen as a step toward modernizing the party’s internal democratic process, the difficulties faced by senior delegates have highlighted the need for better voter assistance and technical facilitation during such large-scale political exercises.
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