As K P Sharma Oli battles the newcomer Balen Shah in the 2026 Nepal election, the CPN-UML’s turn to cronyism and conservative nationalism under his watch is thrown into stark relief
Himal’s coverage of the first election in Nepal after the Gen Z revolution of September 2025 toppled the government and rejected the entrenched political system
In Nepal’s 2026 general election, only a tenth of candidates for direct election are women, and online abuse combined with patriarchy skews the political field against them
After the Gen Z protests, Nepalis will choose between distinct political personalities – Balen Shah, Gagan Thapa and K P Sharma Oli – and different directions for the country’s democracy
