Kathmandu, March 5 Tens of thousands of Nepalese voters cast their ballots on Thursday in the crucial parliamentary elections to elect a new prime minister, six months after a violent protest by Gen Z led to the ouster of the K P Sharma Oli-led coalition government.
The elections are being closely watched by India, which hopes for a stable government in the politically fragile Himalayan nation to facilitate the ongoing developmental partnership between the two countries.
The newly formed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by former rapper Balendra Shah, who was also the mayor of Kathmandu, is posing a significant challenge to the two traditional 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 the prime ministership. 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 party's candidate for prime minister, while the CPN (UML) has nominated Oli as its PM candidate.
According to the Election Commission, voting across Nepal is taking place in a peaceful and orderly environment. Voting began at 7 am and will continue until 5 pm. Counting will begin immediately after ballot boxes are collected.
Approximately 3.16 million people have exercised their franchise by 12 pm, and the voting process is proceeding smoothly, the commission said.
Voting is proceeding smoothly across the country, with only minor incidents reported in a few locations, Election Commissioner Sagun Shumsher Rana was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post.
Nepal's 18.9 million voters are eligible to elect 275 members of the House of Representatives. They will elect 165 members through a first-past-the-post (FPTP) or direct voting system, and 110 members through a proportional voting system.
Approximately 3,400 candidates are vying for 165 seats through direct voting, and 3,135 candidates for 110 seats through proportional voting.
Nepal Police confirmed that, apart from minor disagreements at a few locations, no serious problems have occurred.
"Some jostling is expected during the elections, but no major issues have arisen. We are ensuring that the voting process remains peaceful throughout the day," Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle said.
"Voting started in all constituencies, including the southern plains, hilly areas, and the mountainous region at 7 am," Election Commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said.
"The elections are taking place in a peaceful environment across the country," he added.
Addressing a press conference here on the eve of the polls, Acting Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari on Wednesday said that all preparations for the elections have been completed and urged voters to participate actively and enthusiastically in the democratic exercise.
In Kathmandu, the weather was fine, the sky was clear, and people were enthusiastically queuing up to cast their votes.
Interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki cast her vote from Kathmandu-5 constituency at Dhapasi on the outskirts of Kathmandu on Thursday morning.
"I have cast my vote, and I am happy that people are casting their votes 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 needed 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, the 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.
The CPN-UML, led by ousted PM Oli, has emerged as the hardline force. Though former premier Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda-led NCP claims to have addressed the issues raised by the Gen Z, they have not handed over the party leadership to the younger generation.
The RSP and the reformed Nepali Congress are voicing the issues raised by the Gen Z, while CPN-UML and the ‘Prachanda’-led Communist Party are known as the traditional forces.
The 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.
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.
