Kathmandu:
Partial results in Nepal's constituent assembly election show two traditional rival parties vying for the lead.
Initial results announced Friday morning showed the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) leading with 41 seats, followed by Nepali Congress with 32.
The trailing Maoist party, with eight seats, refused to withdraw its decision to boycott vote counting. Party leaders demanded vote counting stopped immediately and an independent probe because of alleged irregularities.
Vote counting continued in most of the districts while in some mountainous areas ballot boxes were still being transported by helicopters and on foot by porters to counting centers.
Nepal voted Tuesday to elect 601 assembly members.