Nepals youth surge into politics after the Gen Z protests, raising hopes for reform but questions about how much change can truly follow, writesDouglas Connor.

A 35-YEAR-OLD rapper looks set to lead Nepal into a distinctly youth-focused future, six months after the nations deadlyGen Z riots.

Voters who headed to the polls across Nepal on 5 March were faced with a very different political proposition than in recent elections.

Aside from ousting Prime MinisterKP Sharma Oli, SeptembersGen Z protestscompletely reshaped Nepalese politics, with youth now firmly in focus in terms of campaigning and agenda.

The Gen Z movement also led to parties looking to younger leaders, such as former rapper and Kathmandu MayorBalen Shah, who looks set for a landslide election victory with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) over traditional political heavyweights.

A sweeping social media ban ignited mass youth protests in Nepal, leaving dozens dead, thousands injured and the nations leadership in turmoil.

Young people likeAmit Lama, 26, a bartender in Kathmandus backpacker district, Thamel, were buoyed by the presence of youth on the ballot this time around.

Ahead of the election, Amits message to prospective leaders was simple: no more corruption:

The whole political climate is in their favour

DrPramod Jaiswalheads up the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE), a Kathmandu-based think tank focused on issues of security and foreign policy.

Jaiswal says the Nepalese political landscape has undergone a seismic shift in recent months:

Far beyond a simple change of leadership, Dr Jaiswal says young people are now dictating Nepals political agenda, with a focus on economic development and international cooperation:

Dr Jaiswal said witnessing the meteoric rise of their nearest neighbours had compounded the frustrations of Nepals youth in recent years:

Wiping out institutional corruption was a key campaign promise for some major parties, with significant pressure for new leadership to strengthen the nations Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).

One key change since Septembers protests, according to Dr Jaiswal, is improved political literacy and a willingness to ask tough questions of the leading class:

Dr Jaiswal characterises the shift as a political awakening.

A recent spike in student applications from Nepal comes with a risk of students being left in immigration limbo.

Watching a nation swept up by hope for political change, Dr Jaiswal is more reserved in his predictions:

Life after the riots

Six months after taking seven bullets in the Gen Z riots, Mohan Shrestha is living daily with the repercussions of the protests, which claimed more than 50 lives.

Speaking ahead of the election, Mohan said that despite the emergence of youth-led policy, he holds little hope of meaningful political change.

Mohan, 31, a bike mechanic from bustling Kathmandu, says he went to Septembers youth-led anti-corruption protests with the aim of doing something positive for his people.

Mohan has long been frustrated by a lack of opportunities for youth, systemic inequality, and institutional corruption:

Attending a protest at Parliament House, Mohan says he thought the demonstrations and the response would be peaceful:

Mohan was shot seven times, five in the stomach.Months of recovery have followed, leaving him unable to work.

Mohan Shrestha in hospital (Image supplied)

With a family to support, including his wife Asmita and an almost-one-year-old, Mohan says he now deeply regrets his attendance at the protest:

Douglas Connoris a journalist and editor based on the mid-North Coast of New South Wales.

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