Nepal's Gen Z threw out old parties. Will it vote for them in key election?

"Triggered by a social media ban, the Gen Z-led protests soon turned into a wider uprising over a stagnant economy and corruption among the governing elite, forcing 74-year-old Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign and an interim government to be formed. The protests, in which at least 77 people were killed, reflected a popular disenchantment with the established political parties."

"Many young Nepalis see these parties as an entitled and unresponsive political class, prone to corruption. In the run-up to Thursday's vote, these parties claimed they had learned their lesson from last year's uprising and promised to do more to tackle corruption. But young activists are not convinced."

"I am not really interested in old or new parties, he told Al Jazeera. I'm interested in how we can bring this country forward in the right direction. We have witnessed the old political establishment for many years, and no one did anything. The country is sinking. We need to stop corruption."

Nepal approaches a critical parliamentary election on March 5 amid significant political upheaval. Last September, thousands of young Nepalis protested against the country's aging political establishment, initially triggered by a social media ban but evolving into broader demands for economic reform and anti-corruption measures. The protests resulted in at least 77 deaths and forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's resignation. The uprising revealed widespread disenchantment with established parties including the CPN-UML, Nepali Communist Party, and Nepali Congress, which young voters perceive as corrupt and unresponsive. Despite these parties' claims of reform and promises to address corruption, young activists remain skeptical, prioritizing substantive change over party affiliations.

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