The National Human Rights Commission has said the local level polls held on Friday could not become peaceful as expected.

The rights body had deployed seven high-level teams led by its chairman, members and former office bearers and 45 other teams including employees of the commission in all 77 districts for election observation.

“It seems that the polls could not become peaceful as expected as per the information of the observation of the commission,” reads a statement issued by the National Human Rights Commission after voting concluded on Friday.

According to the statement, voting was stalled in different parts of Saptari, Kavre, Achham, Kapilvastu and Dang districts and it was affected due to clashes between the parties in different parts of Bajura, Bajhang, Humla, Jumla, Achham, Kalikot, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Kavre, Sarlahi, Saptari, Rautahat, Dhanusha and Mahottari.

The rights body also said that voters in mountain districts including Gorkha and Humla were forced to walk to the polling stations the previous day as the stations were set up far from their homes.

“The voters were confused due to the lack of voter education. In some places voters fell unconscious because there was no drinking water. There was a lack of toilets in some areas and there was no proper management for the people with disabilities to vote,” the release stated.

The commission had organised a press meet after the voting time ended at 5pm.

Nepal held its local elections on Friday across the country.