Nepalis were voting in their first elections in seven years today in municipal polls dubbed a sham and boycotted by the main political parties and Maoist rebels.
Guerrillas struck at least three cities overnight, bombing government buildings but there were no injuries, witnesses said.
Today's elections are for only about 600 of more than 4,000 seats. In more than 2,200 seats, voting has been delayed or cancelled because no one dared defy the Maoists and stand.
Voting started at 8am (2.15am Irish time) at centres guarded by soldiers in battlegear and with automatic weapons.
But voting was slow. At one of the biggest polling centres in the country, situated amid the temples and palaces in the ancient heart of the capital Kathmandu, only one voter had cast his ballot within the first half hour.
The ballot papers for mayors, deputy mayors, councillors and other officials bore only symbols, not names, in a country with high levels of illiteracy.
Nepalis last voted in 1999 during polls for their national government. National elections planned for late 2002 were delayed because of the Maoist revolt, triggering a political crisis and a string of administrations appointed by the king.
The rebels have called a national strike that has closed most shops and offices and halted public transport. On the eve of the vote, Maoist leader Prachanda issued a final call for Nepalis to boycott the election.
"We make a final and special appeal to people to boycott the election," he said in a statement yesterday.
"Imperialists are on the verge of defeat and the people are at the dawn of a democratic republic."
Violence has been rising ahead of the vote and the guerrillas, who control most of the countryside, have stepped up their attacks in the capital, a small but bustling city ringed by hills.
Nine people have been killed since Monday, and more than 13,000 people since the Maoists launched their revolution in February, 1996. The revolt has shattered the aid and tourism dependent economy in one of the world's poorest countries