New Delhi: India’s Himalayan neighbor Nepal will hold national elections next week, the first since youth-led protests toppled the government KP Sharma was last September, in the hope of a government that will take measures to stimulate the economy and create jobs.
Nearly 19 million of Nepal’s 30 million people are eligible to vote in the March 5 election for the 275-member House of Representatives. About a million voters, mostly young people, have been registered since last year’s protests.
While direct voting will decide 165 seats, the rest will be decided by proportional representation, where seats are allocated to parties in proportion to their vote share.
Jobs and the economy are key issues in this election, especially for young people, Kathmandu-based sources told ET. India will closely monitor the outcome of the elections considering its strategic and economic interests in the Himalayan state. China, too, will monitor the situation and would prefer to deal with an established political party, preferably the Communists and Maoists, according to Nepali observers.
Nepal’s largest trading partner is India, which accounts for 63% of imports, or $8.6 billion, followed by China with 13%, or $1.8 billion, according to World Bank numbers. Over the past few years, India and Nepal have been able to create an energy partnership with the aim of replicating the Indo-Bhutanese model in the future.
Rapper turned politician and former mayor of Kathmandu Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party is among the favorites for the post of Prime Minister. He is in direct competition with Oli, four-time Prime Minister of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist).
Oli has an uphill task to gain support from the youth, who overthrew his government through street protests. Other contenders include Nepali Congress Gagan Thapa, 49, of the party. Former Prime Minister and ex-Maoist leader Prachanda may not be aiming for the top post, but he is active in the electoral process.
