Nepal registers 125 parties for post-uprising polls

KATHMANDU,

Nepal’s Election Commission on Wednesday announced that 125 political parties have registered to contest the country’s first parliamentary elections since a mass uprising in September toppled the government.

While many registrants are established parties, some are new movements formed by youth activists who spearheaded the anti-corruption protests earlier this year.

“We are working with a belief that all political parties and citizens are eager to bring new leadership to the country through the election,” commission spokesman Narayan Prasad Bhattarai told AFP.

Registration remains open for another two weeks, with the final list—including the exact number of new parties and youth-led groups—set to be released after the November 18 deadline.

The September protests, initially sparked by a brief social media ban, quickly escalated into a nationwide movement against government corruption and economic hardship. Violent unrest over two days killed at least 73 people and saw parliament, courts, and government buildings set ablaze.

In the aftermath, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, 73, was appointed interim prime minister to oversee the country until elections are held. On October 29, Karki hosted the first talks between political parties and youth representatives since the protests, attended by all major parties, including that of ousted premier KP Sharma Oli.

Nepal’s political future remains uncertain, with widespread public distrust of established parties posing a significant challenge to conducting credible elections. Nevertheless, Bhattarai said the commission is committed to holding elections in a “peaceful, impartial, and fear-free environment.”

The unrest has further strained Nepal’s fragile economy. The World Bank warned in October that heightened political and economic uncertainty could reduce growth to 2.1 percent. The bank also noted that 82 percent of the workforce is in informal employment, with GDP per capita at $1,447 in 2024.