Election Begins In Nepal Amid Concerns Of Political Stability

Nepalis were in long queues on Sunday as voting started in a general election.

The election pits the ruling alliance of the Nepali Congress party, led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and some former Maoist rebels, against the Nepal Communist Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) party.

There are no pre-election polls, but political analysts expect the ruling alliance to retain power.

“I voted for economic development, ensuring jobs, food, clothes, education and health services,” Rajesh Kumar Subedi, a 52-year-old employee who was the first to vote at Phaimlamchuli voting center, a Kathmandu suburb, told Reuters.

“We need political stability for faster growth of the economy and a government that can guarantee security to investors,” said another voter, Prakash Thapa.

About 18 million people are eligible to vote for the 275-member parliament and the 550 members of seven provincial assemblies through a mix of first-past-the-post and proportional representation systems.

Political stability has proven elusive for the poor nation.

Nepal has had 10 governments since the abolition of a 239-year-old monarchy in 2008.