The election for a new federal parliament has begun in Nepal.
Mar 05, 2026, 06:58Mar 05, 2026, 06:58
The polling stations have been open since morning (7:00 a.m. local time, 2:15 a.m. CET). It is the first election in the Himalayan state since deadly unrest six months ago that led to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli and the dissolution of the National Assembly.
People in Kathmandu cast their ballots.Image: keystone
The early election to the lower house, which is the more powerful of the two chambers of parliament, has great landmark significance. At the same time, it is seen as a test of the influence of younger voters.
A blockage of several social media platforms drove tens of thousands of mostly young people from “Generation Z” onto the streets in Nepal in September. The demonstrators also denounced widespread corruption and nepotism. More than 70 people died as a result of the unrest.
Uncertain election outcome
Around 19 million people, including hundreds of thousands of first-time voters, are eligible to vote. Due to the lack of representative surveys, predicting the outcome of the election is difficult.
But the 35-year-old former mayor of the capital Kathmandu, Balendra “Balen” Shah, is given a good chance of becoming the country’s next prime minister. Shah, a former rapper who is considered populist, is running as the top candidate for the relatively young centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).
Their biggest rivals are the former ruling parties Nepali Congress, which is politically left of center, and the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninists). The latter is led by 74-year-old Oli, who, despite his resignation in September, wants to run again for the position of head of government, which he has already held several times.
275 parliamentary seats
It’s about the distribution of 275 seats. In addition to the 165 direct mandates, 110 seats will be awarded to list candidates based on the proportional share of the vote. The first results are not expected until Friday at the earliest. In order to give many Nepalis the opportunity to vote in their hometowns and to ensure greater security, there are three national holidays from Wednesday to Friday.
After the unrest, former federal judge Sushila Karki temporarily took over government responsibility. Nepal has around 30 million inhabitants. Parliamentary democracy is young. Civil war raged from 1996 to 2006 and the centuries-old monarchy was abolished in 2008. (sda/dpa)