Bangladesh, March 1 -- On March 5, Nepal will return to the polls in one of the most politically charged elections in its recent democratic history. Six months ago, youth-led protests-often labeled the “Gen Z uprising”-toppled an elected government accused of entrenched corruption and authoritarian drift. Today, many of the same political forces that were targets of public fury are asking voters for another mandate, promising sweeping reforms to curb graft and restore integrity to public life.

Yet across Nepals towns and cities, from the Terai plains to the Kathmandu Valley, a single question hangs over the campaign: why should voters believe them now?

The political crisis reached its peak in September, when demonstrations t...