Nepal’s Election Commission said on Wednesday (November 5, 2025) that 125 political parties had registered to contest the first parliamentary polls since a mass uprising in September ousted the government.

Many are established parties, but some of the movements vying for seats in the March 2026 vote were formed by youth activists who helped launch the anti-corruption protests that shook the country earlier this year.

“We are working with a belief that all political parties and citizens are eager to bring a new leadership to the country through the election,” commission spokesman Narayan Prasad Bhattarai told AFP.

Registration remains open for another two weeks.

The final list, including the exact number of new parties and those associated with youth groups, will be released after the November 18 deadline.

The September protests, triggered by a brief ban on social media, quickly morphed into a nationwide movement against economic hardship and government corruption.

Two days of violent unrest killed at least 73 people, and saw parliament, courts and government buildings set ablaze.

In the aftermath, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, 73, was appointed interim Prime Minister to guide the Himalayan nation until elections.

Nepal’s political future remains uncertain, with deep public distrust of established parties posing a major challenge to holding credible elections.

But Mr. Bhattarai insisted the commission was determined to “conduct the election in a peaceful, impartial, and fear-free environment”.

Karki on October 29 held the first talks between political parties and youth representatives since the protests, attended by all major political parties including that of ousted premier K.P. Sharma Oli.

The unrest further weakened Nepal’s already fragile economy, with the World Bank warning in October that “heightened political and economic uncertainty are expected to cause growth to decline” to 2.1%.

The bank estimates a “staggering” 82% of Nepal’s workforce is in informal employment, with GDP per capita at $1,447 in 2024.

A semblance of normalcy returned to Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, on Wednesday (September 10, 2025) after two days of massive protests that turned violent following the deaths of 19 people, mostly youth, on Monday.

The Nepal Army has taken charge of security, with military personnel deployed across the capital.

The Army is also using loudspeakers, urging citizens to maintain peace and order and refrain from vandalism.

In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, the Army said prohibitory orders are in place until 5 p.m., followed by a curfew from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday.

The Army has stated that only essential service vehicles — ambulances, hearses, fire trucks, and vehicles carrying health professionals or security personnel — will be allowed on the roads during the period of prohibitory orders and curfew

Constitutional and administrative vacuum

Following K.P. Oli’s resignation on Tuesday, triggered by massive Gen Z-led protests demanding an “end to corruption and misgovernance”, Nepal is now facing a constitutional and administrative vacuum.

Tuesday’s protests escalated to a boiling point. Demonstrators torched major state institutions — including the Supreme Court, Parliament, and Singha Durbar, the seat of government. Several other government buildings were also set on fire or vandalised across the country.

Protesters also set ablaze nearly all outlets of Bhat Bhateni Super Store, the country’s largest retail chain, in Kathmandu. They further attacked the homes of prominent politicians, many of whom are now under Army protection.

Leaders seek peaceful solution

After Mr. Oli’s resignation, President Ram Chandra Poudel and Nepal Army Chief Gen. Ashok Raj Sigdel separately called on all sides to exercise restraint and seek a peaceful solution through dialogue.

In a national address later on Tuesday, Gen. Sigdel said the Army was calling on all protesting groups to suspend their programmes and come forward for dialogue in order to resolve the crisis peacefully.

President Poudel is currently in consultation with the Army, which is also holding talks with representatives of the protest movement. However, it remains unclear who exactly is representing the protesters in these negotiations.

Nepal Supreme Court halts hearings sine die

The Supreme Court of Nepal suspended all hearings until further notice. In a notice, the Chief Registrar said that all files, documents, and servers were destroyed in Tuesday’s arson attack.

As a result, hearings scheduled for Wednesday have been cancelled, and all proceedings from Thursday onward have been suspended indefinitely, the court said.

Army urges foreign nationals to seek assistance

The Nepal Army has advised all foreign nationals who are stranded or require assistance in Nepal to contact nearby security personnel or authorities.

“Hotels, tourism operators, and other organisations hosting foreign nationals are also requested to coordinate and facilitate any rescue or support efforts as needed,” the Army said in a statement.