What are the key issues in Nepal's national elections?

Nepal will hold national and provincial elections on Sunday, which the ruling coalition, led by the centrist Nepali Congress party, is expected to win. About 18 million people are eligible to vote for the 275-member parliament, as well as the 550 members of seven provincial assemblies through a mix of first past the post and the proportional representation system. Here are key issues that will determine how the Nepalis vote. The economy of the Himalayan nation, wedged between Asian giants China and India, is slowing down, hit by rising energy and food prices, monetary tightening and fears of a global recession. The $38bn economy is expected to expand 4.7 percent in the current fiscal year starting in mid-July, according to Asian Development Bank (ADB), down from the previous year's estimate of 5.8 percent.