Young Nepalis hope post-uprising election candidates shun ‘same old patterns’

Sangharsh Bhusal returned to the spot outside Nepal’s parliament building where police shot him last year.The 28-year-old still bears scars on his head, hand and abdomen from the violence that engulfed Kathmandu during Nepal’s Gen Z uprising, when thousands took to the streets demanding good governance and an end to corruption.It was here, in front of the seat of power, where many young protesters believed their voices should have been heard when gunfire rang out.At least 77 people – including three police officers – were killed in the September 8 violence and unrest the following day, according to official accounts. The turmoil forced prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign and led to the formation of an interim government headed by Prime Minister Sushila Karki, Nepal’s first woman leader.Six months on, nearly 19 million Nepalis are registered to vote in Thursday’s election, choosing 275 members of the lower house under a mixed system combining direct contests for 165 seats with proportional representation for the rest.For millions raised amid revolving-door governments and ageing political elites, the vote is a test of whether a generational shift can lift one of the world’s poorest economies and deliver stability.“This election is the best way to move forward,” Bhusal said, who had returned after studying in Australia months before the protest. “This might be a turning point, and there is a small light of hope.”