(Adnkronos) – In Nepal, the election campaign has begun ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for March 5. These will be the first since the protests five months ago that left dozens dead and led to the end of Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli’s government. According to Sushila Karki, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and interim prime minister since last September, “these elections will decide the future of the country”.
The protests that brought many students to the streets last year were triggered by the then government’s decision to block some social media, but behind it there was also discontent over alleged corruption and unemployment. The toll, according to The Kathmandu Post, is over 70 dead.
Since the beginning of the month, in view of the vote, authorities have planned reinforced security measures. The deployment includes 300,000 units, including military personnel and police officers. The spotlight is on Jhapa, in the southeast of the country, the scene of the ‘duel’ between Sharma Oli, 73, and Balendra Shah, 35, former mayor of Kathmandu, supported by those who want the vote to represent the end of the old guard in power.
Next March 5, more than 19 million voters, many casting their first vote, will be called to the polls to assign the 275 seats in the lower house of Parliament. New parties have emerged since last year’s protests. There are more than 3,400 candidates. And a third are under 40 years old.
