Kathmandu, March 5 Millions of Nepalese voted on Thursday in the country's first general elections since violent protests by Gen Z ousted the K P Sharma Oli-led coalition government. Corruption and generational change in leadership were the main issues in the politically fragile nation.
The election is being closely watched by India, which hopes for a stable government in the politically fragile Himalayan nation to facilitate the developmental partnership between the two sides.
Preliminary estimates indicate that 60% of eligible voters participated in the election.
"We congratulate Prime Minister Sushila Karki, the Government, and the people of Nepal, as well as various stakeholders, for successfully holding these elections, which took place against the backdrop of exceptional circumstances last year," Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said in Delhi.
He stated that India has "consistently supported peace, progress, and stability in Nepal, and in keeping with our commitment, provided logistical support as requested by the Government of Nepal for these elections."
"We look forward to working with the new Government of Nepal to further strengthen the robust, multifaceted ties between our two countries and our peoples for mutual benefit," he added.
Ram Prasad Bhandari, acting Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal, said the election to the House of Representatives was conducted peacefully and enthusiastically.
The newly formed Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP), led by former rapper Balendra Shah, who was also the Mayor of Kathmandu, is posing a strong challenge to the two largest political parties – the Nepali Congress party and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist).
The RSP, formed in 2022, has received significant support during the campaign, and Shah is considered a strong candidate for prime minister. On the other hand, the Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) were part of the government that was ousted by Gen Z last year.
Nepali Congress president Gagan Thapa is the prime ministerial candidate of his party, while the CPN (UML) has nominated Oli as its PM candidate.
Except for some minor incidents, the election was largely peaceful, Bhandari said.
Ballot boxes are being collected, and counting will begin as soon as the ballot papers are collected, he added.
Nepal's 18.9 million voters were eligible to elect 275 members of the House of Representatives. They will elect 165 members through first-past-the-post (FPTP) or direct voting, and 110 members through proportional representation.
Approximately 3,400 candidates are vying for 165 seats through direct voting, and 3,135 candidates for 110 seats through proportional representation.
In Kathmandu, the weather was fine, the sky was clear, and people were enthusiastically queuing up to cast their votes.
The Asian Network for Free Election (ANFREL) has appreciated the people of Nepal for their participation in the elections, which were conducted in a peaceful and orderly environment across the areas observed by it.
"Voters across the country turned out to participate actively in the electoral process, demonstrating their continued commitment to democratic participation," it said, adding that voting generally proceeded smoothly across observed polling stations.
Interim Prime Minister Karki cast her vote in Kathmandu-5 constituency at Dhapasi on the outskirts of Kathmandu. "I have cast my vote, and I am happy that people are voting and participating in the general election," she said.
Nepali Congress president Gagan Thapa cast his vote from Kathmandu-4 constituency in Maitidevi in the morning. "This election is necessary to bring the Constitution back on the right track," he said.
Thapa is contesting the election from Dhanusha-4 constituency.
RSP president Ravi Lamichhane cast his vote from the Chuchepati area on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Shah cast his vote from Gairegaun, Kathmandu. He is contesting the election from Jhapa-5.
Ousted premier Oli cast his vote from Balkot in Bhaktapur district.
The Gen Z youth, through their two-day intensified protests on September 8 and 9, ousted Prime Minister Oli, who was heading a coalition government with the backing of Nepali Congress that enjoyed nearly two-thirds majority support.
The CPN-UML, led by ousted PM Oli, has emerged as the hardliner force. Though former premier Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda-led NCP claims to have addressed the issues raised by Gen Z, they have not handed over the party leadership to the younger generation.
RSP and the reformed Nepali Congress are voicing the issues raised by Gen Z, while CPN-UML and Nepali Communist Party are known as the traditional forces.
Ujyalo Nepal Party, led by Kulman Ghising, and Shram Shakti Party, led by former Dharan Mayor Harka Sampang, are also emerging forces but enjoy support in limited pockets only.
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.
Nepal has declared a three-day holiday for the polls, starting Wednesday.
There were a total of 10,967 polling booths and 23,112 polling centres, according to Election Commission data. As many as 65 political parties took part in the election.
Nepal has had 14 governments in the last 18 years, indicating the fragile nature of the Himalayan nation's political system.
