Meena Bhatta
Nepal is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections in less than three months. These polls are taking place under extraordinary circumstances. A nationwide uprising led by Gen Z toppled the sitting coalition government, led to the dissolution of the parliament, and set parts of the nation’s public infrastructure and administrative offices ablaze – literally. The uprising has demanded a new kind of political participation, a break from the way politics has long been practiced in Nepal.
The upcoming polls therefore are far more than a periodic democratic exercise. For many Nepalis these elections are a chance to renegotiate the terms of political engagement. The ambition is to redesign the existing political system, which has widely remained unresponsive, corrupt, and dominated by entrenched elites who have traded power among themselves for decades.
The interim government led by Sushila Karki has intensified preparation for the polls and is hopeful of conducting credible elections. Political parties have re-registered with the Election Commission (EC) and the EC has finalized the election calendar. Voter registration has been completed, electoral reforms are in the pipeline, and security for the elections is being coordinated across the nation. Political parties are gearing up for their general conventions before the polls.
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