Nepal holds parliamentary elections after Gen Z uprising

Kathmandu: Nepal heads to the polls on Thursday for parliamentary elections, the first nationwide vote since last September's deadly Gen Z protests rocked the country.

Voters will elect 275 members to the House of Representatives: 165 via first-past-the-post (FPTP) and 110 through proportional representation.

The September 8-9 uprising killed 77 people and caused over NPR 84 billion in damage to public and private property. An interim government under Prime Minister Sushila Karki stabilized the situation and called fresh elections.

Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari urged fearless participation. “Since elections are the foundation of a representative system of governance and provide legitimacy and assurance to the people’s right to be governed through representatives of their choice, I sincerely urge all voters to attend their respective polling centres and cast their votes confidently on Thursday,” he said.

Polling runs from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. nationwide. The Commission reports full preparations, including ballot distribution, accessible booths, gender- and disability-friendly facilities, and deployed staff for clean, fair voting.

Over 18.9 million are eligible: 9.66 million men and 9.24 million women. Contenders include 3,406 FPTP candidates and 3,135 under proportional representation.

(Inputs from IANS)