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Nepal's centrist RSP party of rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah had secured a majority in the direct parliamentary elections, partial official results showed Sunday, and was heading for a landslide according to official trends.The 35-year-old's Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was also leading in the proportional representation vote, according to results declared and election commission trends.The vote was the first since deadly September 2025 youth anti-corruption protests toppled the government.Shah himself had on Saturday defeated the veteran four-time prime minister K P Sharma Oli — whose Marxist-led government was ousted in the violence last year — in his own seat.His victory over the 74-year-old Oli, and his rise from the capital's mayor to potential prime minister, marks one of the most dramatic results in recent Nepali politics.The September 2025 youth-led demonstrations, under a loose Gen Z banner, began over a brief social media ban but quickly tapped into broader grievances over corruption and a struggling economy.Elections on Thursday chose a new 275-member House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, with 185 seats chosen directly, and 110 by a proportional representation vote.Poll monitors the Asian Network for Free Elections said Sunday that voting had been "peaceful and orderly and reflected continued public engagement with democratic processes despite recent political instability".Sunday afternoon, 157 of the direct elections had been declared: RSP dominating with 121, Nepali Congress 17, and the Marxists of now-defeated Oli trailing with seven.Former Maoist guerrilla commander Pushpa Kamal Dahal, a three-time prime minister, won his seat, with his party holding seven in total.Trends showed Shah's RSP was also leading in half of the remaining eight constituencies in the direct elections.In the proportional representation vote, RSP was leading with nearly half of the counted votes — but final results could take several more days.Nepali Congress, the largest party in the past coalition government, also saw its new leader, Gagan Thapa, defeated by RSP."Counting is moving forward smoothly in all remaining constituencies," Election Commission spokesman Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said, adding that final results will take a "few days".The first-time parliamentary lawmaker Shah toured the streets of his new constituency on Saturday evening, wearing his signature dark sunglasses and waving from the sunroof of a car in a victory parade through cheering crowds who chanted "Balen" — as he is better known.Shah, who did not make a speech, won more than three times more votes than Oli, who congratulated the winner, wishing him "a smooth and successful five-year tenure".Nepal's government-formed investigation commission to probe the deadly September 2025 violence also submitted its report Sunday.No one has been held accountable for the deaths as yet.The report was handed to Sushila Karki, the interim prime minister.Karki said it would be up to the new government taking power to act — but that she hoped its key findings would be made public before she steps down."We will not be here for its implementation, because we have to handover to the new government and go," she said."But, I believe, that the next government will study and implement this."Oli has denied ordering security forces to open fire on protesters, and has told AFP that he blames "infiltrators" for the violence. 

Overseas Nepali workers bankroll their families and buttress the economy, making them a key constituency in elections next week — but they cannot vote themselves.The Himalayan republic votes on March 5 in the first parliamentary elections since deadly youth-led protests toppled the government in September, fuelled by anger at a woeful economy and lack of opportunities.Unable to find jobs at home, some 2.5mn Nepalis — 7.5% of the population — work abroad to support their families, according to government figures.Political parties court migrants for the powerful influence they wield over voters back home."As they are the main breadwinner of their families, they have a lot of influence," said Ganesh Gurung, chief of Nepal's Policy Research Institute."Migrant workers are very active on social media," he added, noting that online commentary has long shown "a lot of frustration" with successive governments.Nearly 90% of overseas workers have a "strong interest" in voting, according to a survey published in a report by Nepali migrant rights groups after last year's uprising."Indirect participation — such as recommending family voting choices or supporting campaigns online — is common," read the report by migrant rights groups Shramik Sanjal and the Law and Policy Forum for Social Justice (LAPSOJ).The money they send back, from the Gulf and Saudi Arabia, or India and Malaysia, is equivalent to more than a third of GDP, according to the World Bank."I have never exercised my voting rights because I was abroad when I turned 18," Pradip Bagale, 43, a hotel worker in Qatar with two sons in Nepal, told AFP."After the Gen Z movement, I thought the government would finally allow us to vote... but it did nothing."But legal efforts to challenge a 2017 election have made little progress. There is no system for them to cast ballots at embassies, by mail or electronically.The interim government — which took over after the September uprising — said it backed overseas voting, but reforms did not come in time."The procedure couldn't be changed without a legal basis and proper training," said Prakash Nyaupanem, an Election Commission spokesman, adding that polls were "organised in a very short time".In 2018, the Supreme Court ordered the government to "take measures", but there has been no "significant development" since then, said human rights lawyer Barun Ghimire.Lawmakers drafted a new act in 2023, but budget constraints and security concerns about electronic voting meant "it never materialised", a former member of the Electoral Commission said on condition of anonymity.In 2022 elections, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) made it a key issue — and shocked traditional parties by becoming the fourth-largest force in parliament.The same year, Balendra Shah, 35, drew on the support of migrants to be elected Kathmandu's mayor.Shah is the RSP's prime ministerial candidate next week."He was elected mayor because of the pressure from Nepali nationals living abroad," said Nilambar Badal, from the National Network for Safe Migration. "They influenced people in Kathmandu to vote for him."'Inevitable' changeShah told AFP that migrants "should get voting rights", saying he would tackle the issue "if we reach government".Other countries allow citizens based overseas to vote."If both the government and the Election Commission had the willingness, they could have extended the election timeline and included Nepalis living abroad," said Neil Kantha Uprety, a former chief election commissioner.Lawyer Ghimire said he believed such a change was "inevitable", adding that the mere fact the issue was being debated made him "optimistic".Once expatriates were included, their voice would aid democracy, he said."Imagine a mn people voting for a single political party," he said. "That changes the entire political landscape. They could hold those elected accountable." 

Protesting students in Serbia swapped massive street demonstrations Sunday for a push to collect citizens' signatures, to gauge whether they had support to demand snap parliamentary elections.A wave of large-scale student-led protests has gripped Serbia since November 2024, after the collapse of a railway station roof killed 16 people in Novi Sad, the country's second-largest city.The tragedy at the newly renovated station became a symbol of entrenched corruption, with demands for a transparent investigation escalating into calls for early elections – which have so far been rejected by authorities."We are counting to get a rough idea of how many people support us," Jana, a first-year philosophy student, told AFP in Belgrade, while staffing one of nearly 500 stands nationwide.She declined to give her last name.After a more than a year of faculty blockades, protests drawing hundreds of thousands of people, and awareness-raising marches across the country, students were now engaging passers-by at the stands, collecting their signatures and contact details.For Branimir Jovancevic, 63, the new approach was more effective than organising a large rally."It is meant to show how many citizens in Serbia support calling elections," he said after giving his contact details to students in central Belgrade."Too much time has passed, and no one has been held accountable," said Eva Manojevic, 24.So far, three investigations have been launched into the fatal canopy collapse, but only one has resulted in an indictment confirmed by a court.However, the court ruled on Wednesday that there were no grounds to further prosecute the former construction minister who was suspected of a "serious crime against public safety".Nebojsa Vladisavljevic, a political science professor, saw the students entering "a new phase of mobilisation"."The goal is to turn the support gained through protests into votes and an electoral victory," he said.Vladisavljevic expected a new organisation to arise that would be able "to carry an election campaign" and eventually "take part in governing after the elections".The students said they would announce the survey results in the coming days.So far, the only indicator of the strength of the student movement has been the number of people attending protests and a handful of opinion polls.A September survey by independent election watchdog CRTA suggested that candidates backed by the student movement could secure 44% of the vote.The survey also found that nearly two-thirds of citizens, regardless of political affiliation, see snap elections as a way out of the crisis.However, a separate poll conducted the same month by Ipsos, which did not include a potential student-backed list, found that the ruling party would win 48% of the vote, virtually unchanged from its 2023 result.Public uproar over the Novi Sad disaster triggered the resignation of the prime minister and the collapse of the government earlier this year.However, a new cabinet was formed through a reshuffle, and President Aleksandar Vucic said elections would not be held before late 2026, accusing them of attempting to overthrow the government. 

The Security Council extended the United Nations Support Mission in Libya's mandate for one year until October 31, 2026. Since August, the mission has been developing a 12- to 18-month roadmap to organize presidential and parliamentary elections. However, it missed the first milestone, which was scheduled for completion in October.According to the roadmap, the initial two months were dedicated to restructuring the high national elections commission in Libya, securing agreement between the House of Representatives and the State Council on electoral laws, and initiating the formation of a unified government.

Polling stations opened across most Syrian governorates on Sunday as voters cast their ballots in the country's first parliamentary elections since the overthrow of the former regime, marking a significant milestone in Syria's ongoing political transition. According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), members of accredited regional electoral bodies are voting to elect two-thirds of the 210-seat People's Assembly — equivalent to 140 members — through subcommittees and electoral colleges, while President Ahmad Al Sharaa will appoint the remaining third. Nominations for Assembly membership closed on September 28 across 50 electoral districts nationwide, with a total of 1,578 candidates, including approximately 14% women. The People's Assembly will serve a 30-month term, renewable within a four-year transitional period, with the possibility of a one-year extension if required to ensure the continuity of legislative work during this critical stage. Under the current framework, the Assembly is responsible for proposing, approving, and amending laws, ratifying international treaties, endorsing the state budget, and granting general amnesty when necessary. It will also play a foundational role in drafting a permanent constitution, to be submitted to a national referendum once adequate security and stability are achieved. Following its adoption, parliamentary, local, and presidential elections will be held under the new constitutional framework to establish permanent governance structures. These elections come three months after President Al Sharaa issued a decree establishing the Higher Committee for Parliamentary Elections, tasked with overseeing the process and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory standards. Sunday's vote is a key step toward rebuilding Syria's legislative institutions and laying the groundwork for long-term political stability following years of conflict.

Syria will hold on Sunday its first parliamentary elections since the overthrow of the former regime of ousted President Bashar Al Assad, in a historic milestone marking the country's transitional phase toward rebuilding its legislative institutions. Nawar Najmeh, spokesperson for the Higher Committee for Parliamentary Elections, said in remarks carried by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) that voting will take place in designated electoral centers across most governorates. He noted that elections had been postponed in certain areas of Raqqa and Hasakah governorates, while some seats in As-Suwayda would remain vacant until conditions allow voting to be held safely. Najmeh explained that accredited members of the regional electoral bodies will cast their votes to elect two-thirds of the 210-seat People's Assembly — equivalent to 140 members — through subcommittees and electoral colleges, while the remaining one-third will be appointed by President Ahmad Al Sharaa. He added that nominations for membership in the Assembly closed on September 28 across 50 electoral districts nationwide, with a total of 1,578 candidates — approximately 14% of them women. Najmeh noted that qualified professionals with diverse specializations constitute around 70% of the candidates, while the remaining 30% represent community figures and dignitaries, reflecting efforts to achieve a balance between experience and social representation within the new legislative structure. According to the Higher Committee, the People's Assembly will serve a 30-month term, renewable within a four-year transitional period, with the possibility of a one-year extension if required to ensure continuity of legislative functions during this sensitive stage. The Assembly is tasked with proposing, approving, amending, or repealing laws; ratifying international treaties; approving the state's general budget; and granting general amnesty when necessary. It also plays a foundational role in drafting a permanent constitution, which will be put to a nationwide referendum once sufficient security and stability are achieved. Following its adoption, parliamentary, local, and presidential elections will be held under the new constitutional framework to restore permanent governance structures. The elections come three months after President Al Sharaa issued a decree establishing the Higher Committee for Parliamentary Elections to oversee the electoral process and ensure compliance with approved legal and regulatory standards. The vote is a crucial step toward reestablishing Syria's legislative institutions after years of conflict.