Also in the race is Nepali Congress, the country’s oldest party.
It was once part of Oli’s coalition government, but has elected a new leader since the uprising – 49-year-old Gagan Thapa.
And, at the other end of the spectrum from Gen Z politics, supporters of the ex-king Gyanendra Shah, 78 – deposed in 2008, ending 240 years of monarchy – will also campaign.
The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), which draws support from royalist nostalgia and frustration with mainstream politics, rallied thousands in Kathmandu on Friday as the ex-king drove through the streets waving from his car.
“WAY OUT”
Nearly 19 million people have registered to vote, including 800,000 taking part for the first time.
They will elect members to the 275-seat House of Representatives, the lower house, with 165 via a direct vote and 110 through proportional representation.
More than 3,400 candidates are competing in the direct vote, 30 per cent aged under 40.
Campaign banners and party flags are already being strung up in towns, with a string of rallies planned as candidates seek to woo voters.
“This election is being conducted in a special condition,” former chief justice Karki said, as she oversaw polling preparations last week. “This has to give the country a way out.”
Nepal’s Election Commission has said it is ready to hold the polls as planned despite concerns over weather conditions, as many high-altitude areas may be snowbound that early in the year.
The vote is being held unusually early in the year, due to an accelerated election schedule brought on by the September unrest.
Extra security forces have been drafted to ensure calm, with around 300,000 officers and temporary election police deployed.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/nepal-election-campaign-protests-5933626
