Nepal kicks off its first general election since a Generation Z-led uprising that ousted the former government last year, with a new crop of young candidates emerging to challenge the old guard¡¯s grip on power in the Himalayan nation.
Balendra Shah, a 35-year-old former rapper-turned-politician who was previously the mayor of the capital Kathmandu, has emerged as a front-runner with backing from many of the young voters behind last year¡¯s revolt. His party, the 3-year-old Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), is supporting a corruption-busting platform of economic reform, channeling the grievances that animated the youth movement.
In an interview, RSP Co-General Secretary Bipin Acharya said the election was a turning point for the country to usher in change. ¡°Our focus will primarily be on two elements ¡ª economic and changes to the bureaucratic system,¡± Acharya said.
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