Suman KC, 55, wearing earrings in the shape of bells, the party symbol of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), rings bells at his shop outside a counting center in Kathmandu, Nepal, March 6. Reuters-Yonhap
KATHMANDU — A three-year-old party led by rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shahlooked set to sweep Nepal's general election on Friday, trouncing established rivals in a result analysts likened to a "tsunami."
Thirty-five-year-old Shah and his Rastriya Swatantra Party were on course to win a majority in the 275-member lower house of parliament, leading in 100 of the 137 seats, the election commission said.
At 1200 GMT, vote counting was under way for 165 seats filled by direct election in the 275-member lower house, while the rest will be decided through proportional representation.
Balendra Shah, the former mayor of the capital Kathmandu, has dominated the race to become prime minister, gaining near-rockstar-like fame on social media across the Himalayan nation after a youth-led uprising.
History of political instability
"At least one member from each household seems to have voted for it (RSP). Otherwise this type of tsunami would not have been possible," analyst Puranjan Acharya told Reuters.
Political instability has plagued the nation of 30 million for decades, crippling a largely agrarian economy grappling with unemployment and corruption.
That unrest erupted into street protests last September after a social media ban brought thousands onto the streets, triggering clashes and deaths that led to former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli's resignation.
Supporters of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) celebrate as counting begins in Kathmandu, March 6, a day after Nepal's parliamentary election. AFP-Yonhap
Source: Korea Times News
