KATHMANDU: Young would-be voters in Nepal’s capital are lining up enthusiastically to register for the first elections since deadly anti-corruption protests toppled the government.
For many, this will be their first time participating in an election, and they see it as a chance to shape the future of their country of 30 million people.
At least 73 people were killed in the September 8-9 protests that left parliament, courts and government buildings in flames.
The unrest was triggered by a brief ban on social media but fuelled by long-standing frustration over economic hardship and corruption.
Within days of the government’s collapse, 73-year-old former chief justice Sushila Karki was appointed interim prime minister to steer the Himalayan nation until elections on March 5, 2026.
Student Niranjan Bhandari, 21, stated that the pillar of this new government is built on the dead bodies of students as he waited to provide biometric data to complete his registration.
He added that in the upcoming election, they want to uproot the old faces who have been clinging to power for too long.
Nepal’s political future hangs in the balance with huge challenges ahead to ensure elections pass off smoothly, including deep public distrust in Nepal’s established parties.
It remains unclear whether protesters and youth will try to form their own party, or if old politicians will seek to return.
The government has imposed a travel ban on KP Sharma Oli, the 73-year-old Marxist who served as prime minister four times before he was forced from power.
Oli remains outspoken, calling for the reinstatement of the parliament that was unconstitutionally dissolved in an address to supporters earlier this month.
The unrest also battered Nepal’s already fragile economy, where the World Bank estimates a staggering 82 percent of the workforce is in informal employment.
The bank this month updated its economic assessment for Nepal, warning that recent unrest and heightened political and economic uncertainty are expected to cause growth to decline to 2.1 percent.
At a district Election Commission office in Kathmandu, the excitement among the younger generation is clear with 20-year-old student Sambriddhi Gautam expressing her excitement about participating in her first election.
Gautam, who is studying to be a chartered accountant in neighbouring India, said she had returned to register to make sure she can take part.
Business consultant Samiksha Adhikari, 32, waited to apply for her voter identity card, stating they need to bring in new faces who can stop corruption and make the country better.
She added that she wants to cast her vote for those who truly work for the good of the nation.
In Nepal’s last general elections in 2022, nearly 18 million people were registered to vote with all Nepalis aged 18 and above eligible to participate.
Sirjana Rayamajhi, 38, spokesperson at the district election office in Kathmandu, said she had not seen such enthusiasm before with an average of nearly 400 people registering daily.
The turnout is very high, with Gen Z coming to register their names with a lot of excitement because they want a new generation to bring change to the country. – AFP
