Kathmandu, March 4 Hundreds of thousands of Nepalese voters will cast their ballots on Thursday in the crucial general elections, the first since a violent protest led by young people ousted the K.P. Sharma Oli-led government last year.
More than 18.9 million eligible Nepalese voters will exercise their right to vote to elect the 275-member House of Representatives from the 3,406 candidates vying for 165 seats through direct voting, and 3,135 candidates vying for 110 seats through proportional representation.
Voting will begin at 7 am on Thursday and conclude at 5 pm. Counting of votes will begin immediately after the ballot boxes are collected.
Addressing a press conference here on the eve of the elections, Acting Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said that all preparations for the elections have been completed and urged voters to participate actively and enthusiastically in the democratic process.
He stated that foolproof security arrangements have been made with the deployment of over 300,000 security personnel under an integrated security plan in coordination with the Nepal Army.
Bhandari expressed confidence that voters would participate in large numbers.
"This time, the voter turnout will increase, and the percentage of invalid ballots will also decrease due to the improved voter education program launched by the commission," he said.
He also called for cooperation from all sides to ensure the successful conduct of the elections.
Helicopters will be used to transport ballot boxes to district headquarters, he added.
The results under the direct voting or first-past-the-post system are expected within 24 hours of the commencement of counting, Bhandari said.
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 the 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 Prime Minister.
The major issues raised by the Gen Z youth include anti-corruption, good governance, an end to nepotism, generational change in political leadership, etc.
The CPN-UML, led by Oli, has emerged as the dominant force. Although the NCP, led by Prachanda, claims to have addressed the issues raised by the Gen Z, it has not handed over the party leadership to the younger generation.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by Ravi Lamichhane and Balendra Shah, and the reformed Nepali Congress, led by Gagan Thapa, are voicing the concerns raised by the Gen Z, while the CPN-UML and the Communist Party, led by 'Prachanda', are known as the traditional forces.
The Ujyalo Nepal Party, led by Kulman Ghising, and the Shram Shakti Party, led by former Dharan Mayor Harka Sampang, are also emerging forces but enjoy support in limited areas.
"Nepal's politics is sharply divided between those who want change and those who want to maintain the status quo, those who support the concerns raised by the Gen Z youth and the traditional political forces that do not prefer change," said a leader from the Gen Z group.
The RSP has nominated former Kathmandu Mayor Balen, 35, as its prime ministerial candidate, while the Nepali Congress has nominated 49-year-old Thapa for the top post. The CPN-UML has nominated Oli, 75, as its PM candidate.
"People are tired of the traditional political forces due to rampant corruption, nepotism, and lack of accountability, so this time they are likely to express their dissatisfaction towards the traditional big parties, and the emerging new political parties are becoming attractive and catchy to them," said Charan Prasai, a human rights activist and political analyst.
Balen, Kathmandu's former Mayor, has chosen Jhapa-5 as his constituency for the March 5 election, giving a tough fight to Oli, who had won the seat six times in the past.
Thapa, originally from Kathmandu, has also chosen Dhanusha -4 in Madhes Province to create an election wave in the southern plains of Nepal.
With Balen's growing popularity in Jhapa-5, Oli has been confined to his own constituency during the election campaign, instead of campaigning for other candidates of the party across the country.
Gagan Thapa of Nepali Congress had a good show during his election campaign in various parts of the country, mainly in the southern Nepal districts.
Earlier in the day, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal appealed to all the voters to exercise their voting rights without any worry.
"The government has arranged foolproof security during the election, which will be conducted in a free, fair, and fearless environment, thus I call upon voters to go for voting without any worry," he said while talking to reporters.
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 centers, the Election Commission data showed. As many as 65 political parties are taking part in the election.
