Voting has officially ended in Nepal, as the Himalayan nation of about 30 million people held its first national election since the Gen Z protests in September last year. During those protests, 77 people were killed, making it one of the most serious periods of unrest in recent years. The Election Commission has not yet released the official voter turnout figures.
More than 18.9 million eligible voters were registered to take part in the election. They voted to choose members of the 275-seat House of Representatives.
Out of the total seats, 165 members will be elected through direct voting. In this system, voters choose one candidate from their constituency. A total of 3,406 candidates contested these seats. The remaining 110 seats will be filled through a proportional representation system, where 3,135 candidates are in the race. In this system, seats are distributed to political parties based on the percentage of votes they receive.
The election is being held two years earlier than planned because of the large-scale Gen Z protests that took place in September. The protests were mainly led by young people who demanded change. They raised concerns about corruption, poor governance, unemployment, and what they described as a political system controlled by an ageing leadership class.
The March 5 election is seen as an important moment for Nepal’s democracy. Many citizens hope the new government will bring reforms and address the issues that led to the protests. The final results are expected to shape the country’s political direction in the coming years.