"Voting kicked off in Nepal on Thursday to elect a new parliament, six months after deadly anti-corruption protests led by Gen Z toppled the previous government. This election sets the stage for a high-stakes contest between the country's established political leadership and a rising youth movement demanding fundamental change. Polling stations opened at 7am local time across the Himalayan nation of 30 million, with nearly 19 million registered voters expected to participate. The election is viewed as the most fiercely contested since the end of Nepal's civil war in 2006, determining who will succeed the interim government that has been in place since the September 2025 uprising. Footage from a heavily guarded polling station in central Nepal's Banepa, filmed on Thursday, shows voters queuing and casting their ballots under the watchful eyes of election observers. Election observer Badri Timalsina expressed optimism, saying, "Through this election, I see a possibility for the country to move towards peaceful change, a transformation the nation has been longing for. After this Gen Z movement, I feel there is a chance to move forward by bringing both the new generation and the old generation together." "Instead of burning the country, the slogan now is about building it. I see a shift from that old narrative, with new political parties evolving and the constitution moving forward with amendments," he added. Key contenders in this pivotal election feature a former prime minister seeking a return to power, a popular rapper-turned-mayor who has energised younger voters with his anti-establishment message, and the newly elected leader of the influential Nepali Congress party. Members of the 275-seat House of Representatives are elected through a mixed system that combines first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting and proportional representation. Voters cast two ballots: one for an individual candidate in their constituency and another for a political party. Last September's youth-led demonstrations, organised loosely under a Gen Z banner, began as protests against a brief social media ban but rapidly expanded to showcase broader dissatisfaction with corruption and a struggling economy. At least 77 people lost their lives amid the violence, with parliament and several government buildings set ablaze by protesters. Direct election results are expected within 24 hours of the counting's commencement, while proportional representation results may take an additional two to three days."