Nepal election: 3 rivals vie for power
A former rapper who ran Kathmandu as a mayor. The young leader of Nepal’s oldest political party. And a communist veteran politician hoping to return to power after being ousted in youth-led protests in which dozens were killed last year. They are the three leading contenders as Nepal heads into a crucial nationwide election, the first since the protests led to the fall of former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli’s Government in September.
Whoever prevails will become Nepal’s 16th prime minister in less than two decades, underscoring the recurring political instability that has marked the Himalayan nation since the monarchy was abolished in 2008. The protests in Nepal last year revealed the extent of young people’s frustration with corruption and a lack of opportunity in the country, where around a fifth of young people are unemployed, but where the children of the political elite seem to enjoy luxury lifestyles and numerous advantages.
After public outrage led to the resignation of the Government, millions of Nepalese voters are now gearing up to elect members of the House of Representatives, the powerful lower chamber of parliament. The next prime minister will be chosen after securing a majority in the house. Balendra Shah, widely known as Balen, is seen as front-runner after emerging as a popular figure during the campaign.
He was elected mayor of the capital, Kathmandu, in 2022 and later left the post to become the National Independent Party’s candidate for prime minister. Shah trained as a structural engineer and later gained modest fame as a rap artist, using his music to take on social issues and politics. Dressed in his signature black attire and sunglasses.
