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Voting in Nepal's 2026 general election officially commenced on Thursday morning, as citizens across the country headed to polling stations to elect a new government.
At the Annapurna Vinayak School centre in Kathmandu, early visuals captured orderly lines of voters, reflecting a strong sense of civic duty as security personnel ensured a smooth process in the capital. Speaking to ANI, one voter expressed hope for the nation's future and the impact of the newly elected leadership. "I hope that whoever wins, plays a significant role in the development of Nepal and enhancing the life situations of every citizen," one of the voter's said. This high-stakes election marks the culmination of months of political turbulence. According to a report by The Kathmandu Post, the snap polls were necessitated by the historic "Gen Z movement" in September, which resulted in the removal of the KP Sharma Oli-led coalition and the subsequent dissolution of the House of Representatives. The Election Commission, receiving significant support from the Sushila Karki administration, confirmed that all arrangements have been finalised to transition the country back to an elected government after a six-month interim period. Karki's tenure as executive head began on September 12 with the recommendation to President Ramchandra Paudel to dissolve the lower house, leading to the March 5 mandate. "All the arrangements for free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections are in place," stated acting chief election commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari. He further "urged everyone to exercise their franchise without fear" during the 10-hour voting window, which remains open from 7 am until 5 pm. The Kathmandu Post highlighted that 18,903,689 registered voters will decide the future of 6,541 candidates competing for 275 seats in the House of Representatives. This electorate represents an increase of 915,119 voters since 2022, with a significant 52 per cent belonging to the 18-40 youth demographic. Of the total candidates, 3,406 are vying for seats under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system, while the remainder contest through proportional representation. Within the FPTP system, 65 parties have fielded 2,263 candidates for 165 seats, alongside 1,143 independent contenders. Gender demographics in the direct elections remain heavily skewed, featuring 3,017 male and 388 female candidates, with a single individual representing the sexual and gender minority community. The Kathmandu Post noted that the candidate pool is predominantly older, with 1,925 aged between 41 and 60, while only 201 candidates are aged 30 or younger. Regarding the 110 proportional seats, 63 parties have submitted a list of 3,135 candidates, split equally between 1,772 males and 1,772 females. To gain national party status and qualify for these seats, a party must secure at least three per cent of the proportional vote and win at least one FPTP seat. A total of 341,113 security personnel have been mobilised across 10,963 polling stations, including 149,000 temporary "election police," ensuring a peaceful process. A Security Council meeting chaired by Prime Minister Karki on Wednesday concluded that the current environment would likely make this election more transparent than previous cycles. "No force can disrupt the election," Bhandari asserted, expressing confidence that high engagement from young voters would boost turnout and reduce the frequency of invalid ballots. Historically, voter participation has averaged 69.4 per cent since 2006, though it hit a low of 61.4 per cent in 2022. To expedite the counting process in difficult terrain, authorities plan to use helicopters to retrieve ballot boxes from hilly regions. Officials expect to "publish the results of the first-past-the-post vote within 24 hours after vote counting begins." (ANI)
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