Nepalis ready to vote on Thursday

已複製連結

Millions of Nepalis are set to vote Thursday in the first parliamentary elections since a violent youth-led uprising toppled the previous government.

The uprising thrust forward a new generation's demands for sweeping change in the Himalayan nation.

Authorities have tightened security nationwide ahead of the polls Thursday. In addition to regular forces, thousands of temporary police officers have been deployed, and army troops - generally confined to barracks - are patrolling streets and guarding polling stations. 

The government has declared a three-day public holiday to allow voters to travel to their homes. Schools and other public buildings have been converted into polling centers, where ballots will be cast by residents - from Nepal's remote Himalayan villages to towns across the southern plains. 

Over a million voters have been added to the rolls since the last national election in 2022, according to the Election Commission of Nepal. Many of them are also first-time voters who took to the streets during last year's protests that ultimately forced former prime minister Khadga Prasad Oli out of power. 

Analysts say the youth movement that fuelled the uprising is now poised to shape the outcome of the election, as first-time voters demand accountability. 

"This election, all the political parties, whether they are old or new, they are more focused on the youth. That is a great shift in our electoral history," said Bhojraj Pokharel, an independent political analyst and Nepal's former chief election commissioner.

Many voters say they want a break from the established political parties, calling for fresh leadership that can tackle widespread corruption and strengthen governance in the country.