Nepal votes in 1st general election since Gen Z protests

Nepal's general election, the first since the Gen Z protests, sees over 18.9 million voters heading to the polls to elect the House of Representatives amid heightened security and calls for anti-corruption and good governance.

IMAGE: People queue to vote as a member of the Nepal police stands guard at a polling station during the general election in Damak, Jhapa district, Nepal. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Key Points

Nepalese citizens are participating in the first general election since the Gen Z protests that led to the ouster of the K P Sharma Oli government.
Over 18.9 million Nepalese are eligible to vote for the 275-member House of Representatives.
The election addresses key issues raised by Gen Z, including anti-corruption and good governance.
Voting is taking place in all 165 constituencies across Nepal amid tight security measures.

Nepalese citizens on Thursday morning started to reach polling booths in all 165 constituencies amid tight security to cast their vote in the crucial general election, the first since a violent Gen Z protest that toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led government last year.

More than 18.9 million eligible Nepalese will be exercising their franchise to elect the 275-member House of Representatives from among the 3,406 candidates vying for 165 seats under direct voting, and 3,135 candidates vying for 110 seats through proportionate voting.

The voting started at 7 am and will conclude at 5 pm. The counting will start immediately after the ballot boxes are collected.

IMAGE: A woman votes at a polling station in Patan Durbar Square in Lalitpur, Nepal. Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters

"Voting started in all the constituencies, including the southern plains, hilly area and the mountain region at 7 am," Election Commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said.

"The election started in a peaceful environment across the country," he added.

Addressing a press meet in Kathmandu on the eve of the polls, Acting Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari on Wednesday had said that all preparations for the election had been completed and urged voters to participate actively and enthusiastically in the democratic exercise.

In Kathmandu, the weather was fine, sky was clear and people were enthusiastically queuing up to cast their votes.

IMAGE: Women vote at a polling station during the general election in Kathmandu. Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters

Gen Z Protest in Nepal

The Gen Z youth, through their two-day intensified protests on September 8 and 9, ousted Prime Minister Oli, chair of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist–Leninist -- CPN-UML -- who was heading a coalition government with the backing of Nepali Congress that enjoyed nearly two-thirds majority support.

After Oli's ouster, President Ramchandra Paudel dissolved the House of Representatives on September 12 and appointed Sushila Karki as the caretaker PM.

The major issues raised by Gen Z are anti-corruption, good governance, an end to nepotism, generational change in political leadership, etc.

IMAGE: Balendra Shah, a rapper-turned-politician and the prime ministerial candidate for Rastriya Swatantra Party, votes during the general election in Kathmandu. Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters

Nepal Election Preparations

Starting Wednesday, Nepal has declared a three-day holiday for the polls.

There are a total of 10,967 polling booths and 23,112 polling centres, the Election Commission data showed. As many as 65 political parties are taking part in the election.