Sawt Falasteen - Nepal launches campaigns for first post-uprising polls

"This election will draw the future of the country," Sushila Karki, who is serving as interim prime minister until the March 5 vote, said ahead of the launch.

The youth-led protests were triggered by a brief social media ban, but were fuelled by anger at economic stagnation and an ageing elite seen as out of touch.

Over two days in September, 77 people were killed, scores were injured, hundreds of buildings set on fire -- including parliament, courts and a Hilton hotel -- and 73-year-old Marxist leader KP Sharma Oli ousted.

It was the Himalayan nation's worst violence since a decade-long civil war in 2006.

- Young and old -

Two weeks of campaigns will see a host of new, younger candidates promise to offer change, challenging veteran politicians who say they provide stability and security.

A key election clash will see rapper-turned-mayor Balendra Shah, 35, face Oli in a head-to-head battle in the former prime minister's constituency.

Sharply dressed Shah, better known as Balen, has emerged as a symbol of youth-driven political change.

He has joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), the fourth biggest in the last parliament.

Also in the race is Nepali Congress, the country’s oldest party.

It was once part of Oli's coalition government, but has elected a new leader since the uprising -- 49‑year‑old Gagan Thapa.

And, at the other end of the spectrum from Gen Z politics, supporters of the ex‑king Gyanendra Shah, 78 -- deposed in 2008, ending 240 years of monarchy -- will also campaign.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), which draws support from royalist nostalgia and frustration with mainstream politics, rallied thousands in Kathmandu on Friday as the ex-king drove through the streets waving from his car.

- 'Way out' -

Nearly 19 million people have registered to vote, including 800,000 taking part for the first time.

They will elect members to the 275-seat House of Representatives, the lower house, with 165 via a direct vote and 110 through proportional representation.

More than 3,400 candidates are competing in the direct vote, 30 percent aged under 40.

Campaign banners and party flags are already being strung up in towns, with a string of rallies planned as candidates seek to woo voters.

"This election is being conducted in a special condition," former chief justice Karki said, as she oversaw polling preparations last week. "This has to give the country a way out."

Nepal's Election Commission has said it is ready to hold the polls as planned despite concerns over weather conditions, as many high-altitude areas may be snowbound that early in the year.

The vote is being held unusually early in the year, due to an accelerated election schedule brought on by the September unrest.

Extra security forces have been drafted to ensure calm, with around 300,000 officers and temporary election police deployed.

Z.AbuSaud--SF-PST