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.

Seventeen new political parties have applied for registration at the Election Commission (EC) to contest Nepal’s March 5 general elections, according to an official.

Of these, seven parties applied to the Election Commission after the election date was announced on September 12, whereas 10 parties applied before the announcement, EC spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said.

Two of the new parties have claimed that they represent the Gen-Z protesters who toppled the K.P. Sharma Oli-led government last month.

President Ramchandra Paudel last month appointed former chief justice Sushila Karki as the caretaker Prime Minister after Oli of CPN-UML was forced to resign.

Mr. Paudel dissolved the House of Representatives (HoR) at the recommendation of PM Karki and announced that the fresh elections would be held on March 5, 2026.

With the new applications, the number of parties registered with the EC has reached 124.

The EC spokesperson said the electoral body is currently reviewing documents submitted by the newly registered parties for formal approval. The deadline for applying to register a new political party is November 16.

With the election date approaching, voter registration has also surged, with more than 85,000 new voters registered as of Friday (October 31, 2025).

The EC said that an average of 5,000 to 6,000 new voters are registering every day. Voter registration will continue until November 16.

Meanwhile, the EC has called for applications from national and international organisations interested in observing the general election. Interested organisations must submit their application and required documents to the Election Commission before November 12.