Nepali voters on Sunday cast their ballots for a new parliament in a contest dominated by public frustration with the Himalayan republic’s older political elite and concerns about its faltering economy.

A revolving door of prime ministers – most of whom have been in office for less than a year – and a culture of horse-trading have fueled a perception that the government is out of touch with Nepal’s pressing problems.

Several younger faces face off for the first time against established parties whose leaders have stalked the corridors of power for decades.

Although analysts expect Nepal’s established political veterans to once again dominate the next gathering, many voters have lost faith in the status quo and a mood for change is palpable.

“Each party has taken turns in government for the past five years and done nothing,” Chiranjibi Dawadi, a driver by trade, told AFP this week.

“My family decided to vote for a new party this time. It’s okay even if she doesn’t take care of us. Neither do old parties.”

Sunday’s elections are the second since the promulgation of a new constitution in 2015, ushering in a new political order after the end of Nepal’s traumatic Maoist insurgency.

The civil war ended in 2006 after killing more than 17,000 people and abolishing the country’s monarchy while also bringing the former rebels into power.

Since then, the former guerrillas have alternated in power in various coalitions with another communist party and the established Congress.

However, political instability is a recurring feature of the Nepalese parliament and no prime minister has served a full term since the end of the war.

A constant balancing act has seen governments of various persuasions struggle to manage the traditional rivalry between Nepal’s two neighbors, China and India, at a time of growing Western concern over Chinese-funded mega-projects in the country.

Acting Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, 76, is in this role for the fifth time. The other two leading party leaders are aged 70 and 67 and have both served as prime ministers twice.

Public discontent with the trio has intensified as the economy is still in the doldrums of the pandemic, which is ravaging the vital tourism industry and drying up remittances from the large number of Nepalese working abroad.

Inflation is rising and the government has banned imports of several goods, including foreign liquor and televisions, to shore up its dwindling foreign exchange reserves.

Several younger contestants have thrown their hats in the ring this year, most notably bombastic journalist Rabi Lamichhane.

The charismatic former TV presenter, 48, made his name with a somber news show in which he yelled at officers and performed hidden camera jabs at corrupt bureaucrats to capitalize on public frustration over endemic bribery.

“I had voted for old parties in the past, but this time I voted for new candidates,” Sushant Thapa, a 26-year-old student, told AFP at a polling station in Kathmandu.

“I hope that there is a new team in Parliament that listens to the language of the public.”

But analysts say the nature of Nepal’s parliamentary system means Sunday’s election is likely to result in a parliament dominated by prominent parties.

“It seems that the public has stopped expecting big changes,” Guna Raj Luitel, editor of Nagarik newspaper, told AFP.

“It is unlikely that there will be a majority for a single party,” he said. “There will be the same power games and coalition governments again.”

Nepal’s remote Himalayan communities make each national vote a logistical feat, and Electoral Commission officials said it will take “four to five days” to know the result.