Nepal’s leader says post-uprising polls on track

Nepal’s interim authorities has said preparations are connected way for parliamentary elections adjacent week, the archetypal since a deadly 2025 uprising, urging voters to workout their close “without fear”.

The Himalayan republic of 30 cardinal radical holds elections connected March 5, little than six months aft youth-led anti-corruption protests toppled the erstwhile government.

The unrest killed astatine slightest 77 radical and near parliament successful flames.

“The authorities volition permission nary chromatic unturned to behaviour the predetermination successful a clean, fair, fearless, and peaceful manner,” Sushila Karki, the interim Prime Minister, said precocious Tuesday (February 24, 2026).

“I impulse each citizens to workout their voting rights with assurance and without immoderate fear.”

The September 2025 violence was the worst since a decade-long civilian warfare ended successful a 2006 bid woody that abolished the monarchy and brought Maoist insurgents into government.

Protests were triggered by a little societal media ban, but were fuelled by choler astatine economical stagnation and an ageing elite seen arsenic retired of touch.

Nearly 19 cardinal radical person registered to vote, including 800,000 taking portion for the archetypal time.

They volition elite members to the 275-seat House of Representatives, the little house, with 165 via a nonstop ballot and 110 done proportional representation.

Election Commission authoritative Suman Ghimire told AFP the assemblage was successful its “final signifier of predetermination preparation”.

Mr. Ghimire said enactment from different nations included neighbouring China and India.

China, arsenic good arsenic Japan, had sent “economic assistance,” Mr. Ghimire said, without giving a figure, portion Indian assistance included 86 pickup vans “to transport predetermination materials”.

More than 60 trucks — arsenic good arsenic helicopters for distant snowbound upland regions — person been utilized to transport predetermination materials, helium said.

More than 3,400 candidates are competing successful the nonstop vote, 30 percent aged nether 40.

“An predetermination ambiance is taking shape,” said Kritika Mishra, 23, a prospective elector successful Nepal’s confederate Sarlahi district. “Candidates are actively campaigning.”