KATHMANDU, Mar 5: Tens of thousands of Nepalese voted on Thursday in the crucial parliamentary elections to elect a new prime minister, six months after violent Gen Z protests toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led coalition Government.
The election is being closely watched by India, which hopes for a stable government in the politically fragile Himalayan nation to take forward the developmental partnership between the two sides.
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The voting, which began at 7 am, concluded in a peaceful and orderly atmosphere at 5 pm, officials said.
Election Commissioner Janaki Kumari Tuladhar said voters who had already queued at polling centres by 5 pm were still allowed to cast their ballots. The counting will start immediately after the ballot boxes are collected.
The newly formed Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP) led by former rapper Balendra Shah, who was also the mayor of Kathmandu, is posing a tough challenge to two traditional political parties – the Nepali Congress party and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist).
The RSP, formed in 2022, has received significant support during the campaign, and Shah is said to be a strong candidate for prime minister. On the other hand, the Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) were part of the government toppled by the Gen Z last year.
Nepali Congress president Gagan Thapa is the prime ministerial candidate of his party, whereas the CPN (UML) has projected Oli as its PM face.
Around 39 per cent of voters exercised their franchise till 3 pm, officials said.
There were some minor incidents reported in a few places, Election Commissioner Sagun Shumsher Rana was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post newspaper.
Nepal’s 18.9 million voters are eligible to elect 275 members of the House of Representatives. They will elect 165 HoR members through first past the post (FPTP) or direct voting system, and 110 members through proportionate voting.
Around 3,400 candidates are vying for 165 seats under direct voting, and 3,135 candidates for 110 seats through proportionate voting.
Nepal Police confirmed that apart from minor disagreements at a few locations, no serious problems had occurred.
“Some jostling is expected during elections, but no major issues have arisen. We are ensuring that the voting process remains peaceful throughout the day,” Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle said.
“Voting started in all the constituencies, including the southern plains, hilly area and the mountain region at 7 am,” Election Commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said.
“The election started in a peaceful environment across the country,” he added. (PTI)
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