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Asia in Review (AiR) Webinar Series
Online Panel Discussion
Nepal’s 2026 Elections:
Youth Mobilization, Political Fragmentation, and Reform Prospects
Jointly hosted by
CPG’s Constitutional Law & Politics / Human Rights Hub (CCHH)
and the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE)
in cooperation with the Asian Governance Foundation (AGF)
Friday, February 27, 2026
12:00-13:00 p.m. ICT (GMT+7)
Online via Zoom video teleconferencing
Concept Note
On March 5, Nepal will hold midterm elections for its 275-seat House of Representatives following the dissolution of parliament in the aftermath of the youth-led “Generation Z” protests that swept the country in September 2025. What began as mobilization against corruption, nepotism, and entrenched patronage networks escalated into the most severe episode of political violence since the end of the civil war in 2006, culminating in the resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and the appointment of an interim technocratic administration under former Chief Justice Sushila Karki. The upcoming vote will be the first nationwide election since these events and takes place within a context of political transition and institutional recalibration.
The elections will be conducted under Nepal’s mixed electoral system, combining 165 first-past-the-post constituencies with 110 seats allocated through proportional representation. With 18.9 million registered voters—including more than 900,000 first-time voters—and citizens aged 18–40 comprising roughly half of the electorate, generational dynamics are central to the contest. Yet this demographic weight contrasts with limited youth representation among party elites and candidates. At the same time, the political landscape is unusually fragmented: 136 parties are registered and thousands of candidates are competing, many of them emerging from or inspired by the protest movement.
Politically, the elections pit reform-oriented actors and newly mobilized movements against entrenched party structures that have dominated governance since the republican transition. Established forces retain significant advantages in organization, financing, and patronage networks, even as several mainstream parties grapple with internal splits and leadership struggles. Alternative political formations seek to convert protest momentum into parliamentary representation, while monarchist currents and anti-system narratives have also resurfaced at the margins. Against a backdrop of economic fragility—marked by high levels of informal employment and strong dependence on remittances—and Nepal’s sensitive geopolitical position between India and China, the stakes of the vote extend beyond domestic power distribution.
Taking place in the final phase of the campaign period, this webinar will provide an overview of Nepal’s evolving political landscape ahead of the March 5 elections. It will examine the post-protest political context, party configurations, electoral dynamics, and possible coalition constellations, and discuss potential implications for governance and policy direction following the vote.
Speakers
Anurag Acharya
Director of Practice; Policy Entrepreneurs Inc.
has over a decade and half-long professional experience, working on issues related with governance and politics.
His expertise and research interests include Nepali politics and governance, as well as South Asian geopolitics. Acharya is also a former journalist, who continues to write extensively for national and international publications.
His recent works focus on Nepal’s sub-national political settlement and big power rivalry in South Asia, particularly exploring facets of infrastructure aid and soft power diplomacy.
Dr. Pramod Jaiswal
Research Director; Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE)
is Research Director at the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE). He has held visiting and research positions at institutions in Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, the United States, India, and Serbia, including Sandia National Laboratories and the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies in New Delhi.
Previously, he was affiliated with Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok and the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi, and worked as Strategic Affairs Editor for leading media outlets in Nepal.
Dr. Jaiswal holds a Master’s degree, M.Phil., and Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is the author, editor, and co-editor of around two dozen books on China and South Asian affairs.
Lucas Meier
Program Manager, CPG; Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Asia in Review
is a researcher, analyst, and mediator, currently serving as Program Manager at the German–Southeast Asian Center of Excellence for Public Policy and Good Governance (CPG). In this capacity, he also acts as Deputy Head of CPG’s Mediation Center (CMC) and CPG’s Governance and Compliance Hub (CGCH).
Lucas also serves as Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Regional Editor for South Asia of CPG’s Asia in Review newsletter and is a Fellow at the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE).
Bibek Dhoj Thapa
Program Coordinator and Research Associate; NIICE
is Program Coordinator and Research Associate at NIICE. His research interest lies in areas of Nepal’s Neighborhood Studies, Security and the emerging trends on Cybersecurity.
He was a Visting Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies at Sichuan University, China and conducted research on “EV Collaboration between China and Nepal”.
He is currently pursuing his Masters at the Department of International Relations and Diplomacy, Tribhuvan University.
Agenda
| Noon – 12:05 p.m. | Welcoming Words Henning Glaser, Director, German-Southeast Asian Center of Excellence for Public Policy and Good Governance (CPG); Executive Director & Chairman of the Board of Directors, Asian Governance Foundation (AGF) |
| 12:05 – 12:55 p.m. | Expert Panel Discussion & Open Forum Discussion Panelists Anurag Acharya, Director of Practice; Policy Entrepreneurs Inc. Dr. Pramod Jaiswal, Research Director; Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE) Bibek Dhoj Thapa – Program Coordinator and Research Associate; NIICE Moderated by Lucas Meier, Program Manager, CPG; Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Asia in Review |
| 12:55 p.m. | Concluding Remarks Henning Glaser, Director, CPG; Executive Director & Chairman of the Board of Directors, AGF |
Registration
Registration is required to attend the event. Please scan the QR code below or click the link to complete your registration: >> Click here <<
Inquiries
For program content, please contact Mr. Lucas Meier at lucas.meier@cpg-online.de
For administrative matters, please contact Ms. Venus Phuangkom at events@cpg-online.de