Months after Gen Z protests, four ex-PMs enter Nepal’s March 5 poll race
The polls were necessitated following the resignation of Oli as prime minister on September 9.
The polls were necessitated following the resignation of Oli as prime minister on September 9.
The polls were necessitated following the resignation of Oli as prime minister on September 9.
Kathmandu: Several months after Nepal witnessed Gen Z–led protests demanding political change, four former prime ministers have entered the electoral fray by filing nominations from different constituencies for the general elections scheduled on March 5.
Former prime minister and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) chairman KP Sharma Oli is contesting from Jhapa-5, while Pushpakamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), has filed his nomination from Rukum East.
Former prime ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Nepali Communist Party and Baburam Bhattarai of the Pragatisheel Lokatantrik Party are contesting from Rautahat-1 and Gorkha-2 constituencies, respectively.
However, two other former prime ministers — Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and senior Communist leader Jhala Nath Khanal — are not contesting in this election.
The polls were necessitated following the resignation of Oli as prime minister on September 9, after violent protests led by youth, particularly the Gen Z group.
“One of the key triggers for the Gen Z protests last September was the perception that over the past 15 years, Deuba, Prachanda, and Oli have rotated the prime minister’s post like a musical chair,” said senior journalist and Aarthik Dainik editor Pralhad Rijal.
“The youth wanted a change and clearly conveyed their frustration with the old leadership. Yet, four leaders, all above 70 years of age, are once again contesting,” he added.
Oli is 74, while Prachanda and Bhattarai are 71, and Madhav Kumar Nepal is 72.
Among the former prime ministers not contesting, Khanal opted out voluntarily, while Deuba was compelled to stay away following resistance from younger leaders within his party, reported PTI.
“Deuba wanted to contest for the eighth time from Dadeldhura, but the party’s newly elected president, Gagan Thapa, persuaded him to step aside in keeping with Gen Z sentiments,” said political analyst and academician Dhananjaya Sharma.
The electoral contest is not limited to former prime ministers. Three mayors from different parts of Nepal have resigned from their posts to contest the elections.
The most prominent among them is former Kathmandu Metropolitan City mayor Balendra Shah, popularly known as ‘Balen’, who stepped down to contest from Jhapa-5 in eastern Nepal.
The other two include Harka Sampang, former mayor of Dharan Sub-metropolitan City, contesting from Sunsari-1, and Prachanda’s daughter Renu Dahal, former mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, who is contesting from Chitawan-3.