Nepal’s Gen Z Test

All eyes are on Nepal once again as the country awaits Thursday's poll results, the first general election since the K P Sharma Oli government was toppled in September last year, following violent protests by the youth. The Gen Z-led uprising, which was triggered by several factors including widespread corruption, crony capitalism, unemployment, lack of political accountability and wealth disparity, inspired similar youth movements in other countries as well. This time, Nepal’s Gen Z has taken their activism beyond protests by leading the forefront of political campaigns for the just-concluded elections, determined to elect a more responsible government to pull the country out of poverty and set it on the path to economic recovery. What is to be seen is whether their effort will translate into an electoral success and subsequently lay the groundwork for policies that can tackle both the short-term and long-term challenges facing the country. The big question is whether the election will pave the way for change that prioritises development through good governance, transparency, and accountability, or if it will take us back to square one and mark the start of the old cycle once again.

The electoral outcomes in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh—two countries that have undergone major political upheaval in the recent past—suggest that populist movements may not necessarily result in political victory and the road to recovery can be long and winding. The People’s Struggle Alliance (PSA), which was founded by leaders who spearheaded the 2022 protests that ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, failed terribly in the 2024 Sri Lankan parliamentary election. There are signs of improvement in the country’s economy since the new government took office, but it is yet to get out of the wood. Similarly, the National Citizen Party (NCP), which was launched by leaders and student activists who led the 2024 uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government, managed to win only a few seats in the general elections held last month despite the overwhelming hype it received ahead of the polls. The party that was initially seen as a potential game-changer turned out to be a damp squib in the electoral battle. Now the spotlight is on the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which markets itself as a youth-centric force and fielded as many as nine candidates from Gen Z in the just-concluded elections in Nepal. The stakes are high, and whichever party comes to power in the Himalayan nation will inherit daunting challenges, including a struggling economy and high unemployment. The new government will be expected to address the issues and demands raised by the youth during last year’s political unrest.