Nepal is reeling from its worst political unrest in decades, as eight of the country’s largest parties have demanded that President Ram Chandra Poudel reinstate the parliament he dissolved only a day earlier. The move comes after a week of deadly anti-corruption protests that left more than 50 people dead and forced former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli from office.
A dramatic week in Kathmandu
The crisis began with the government’s decision to ban 26 social media platforms—including WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook—sparking outrage among students and young activists. What began as anger over digital freedoms quickly escalated into a full-blown uprising against entrenched corruption and political privilege.
By Tuesday, furious crowds in Kathmandu had set fire to parliament and other government buildings. Riot police responded with force, leaving dozens dead. The violence prompted Oli to resign, opening the way for an extraordinary political reshuffle.
On Friday, Poudel appointed 73-year-old Sushila Karki, a former chief justice of the Supreme Court and the first woman to lead Nepal, as interim prime minister. At the same time, he announced the dissolution of parliament—a key demand of the “Gen Z” protest leaders. The government also promised new elections for March 5 next year.
Parties push back
But on Saturday, eight political parties—including the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and the Maoist Centre—issued a joint statement condemning the dissolution as unconstitutional. Signed by the chief whips of each party, the statement argued that the president had overstepped his authority and undermined Nepal’s democratic order.
“The constitution is alive, the parliamentary system is alive and the federal democratic republic still exists,” Poudel said later in his own address, urging all sides to show restraint. He insisted that elections within six months offered “an opportunity to move forward in the path of a more efficient democracy.”
A fragile interim government
Prime Minister Karki was sworn in during a brief ceremony in Kathmandu and is expected to announce her cabinet within days. Though widely regarded as a figure of integrity, she faces daunting challenges: restoring law and order, rebuilding torched parliamentary buildings, and balancing the demands of youthful protest leaders with those of traditional parties fearful of democratic backsliding.
Student leaders of the “Gen Z” movement, who had mobilized around a “nepo kid” campaign exposing the lavish lifestyles of politicians’ children, have endorsed Karki’s appointment. Yet their pressure remains intense: they want systemic change, not only elections.
Soldiers return to barracks
Following Karki’s swearing-in, soldiers deployed across Kathmandu to quell riots have returned to their barracks. The capital is gradually returning to normalcy, but trust in the political establishment is badly shaken.
The coming weeks will test whether Nepal’s fragile democracy can withstand the shock. For now, the battle lines are drawn: a youthful protest movement demanding a reset, a president insisting elections are the answer, and major parties seeking to reassert the authority of parliament.
