ISLAMABAD: Nepal’s President Ramchandra Paudel has dissolved the parliament and announced fresh elections for March 5, after a week of deadly unrest that culminated in the appointment of the country’s first woman prime minister in the interim. Former chief justice Sushila Karki was named caretaker leader after violent Gen Z–led protests forced Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign.
The unrest left central Kathmandu in ruins, with parliament, the Supreme Court, and even the president’s house set ablaze. Thirty-four people were killed in two days of clashes before the army intervened. Military chief Gen. Ashok Raj Sigdel appeared in a video urging calm, and troops soon began patrolling the streets and engaging protesters in talks, according to AFP.
While the military’s intervention has eased the violence, uncertainty hangs over Nepal’s political future. With no constitutional provision for an interim leader, talks between the president, army officials, and protest groups continue without a consensus. Analysts warn that while the military is popular, it must avoid overstepping into politics — a balance Nepal has struggled with since becoming a republic in 2008.
Though some analysts say the military’s intervention prevented further loss of life. “It was a very abnormal situation in Nepal, which the army was successful in bringing back to control,” said Geja Sharma Wagle, a Kathmandu-based security expert.
A Fragile Transition
The army’s role has stirred comparisons with Bangladesh, where student-led protests toppled a government last year. Nepal’s military — popular for its peacekeeping record — has historically avoided politics, but its involvement in this transition could test that boundary.
“No consensus has been reached yet, and there is no constitutional provision for an interim leader,” Wagle warned, urging the army not to overstep. ”Say hello to Nepal’s new Prime Minister, Sushila Karki, who was chosen without an election by the democracy-loving protesters!
Shaken by deadly protests, Nepal faces the pressing question of who will step into the political void. What began on September 8 as youth-led protests against corruption and nepotism quickly escalated into deadly clashes, the torching of parliament, resignations from cabinet members, and finally the departure of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. In just two days, at least 31 people were killed, while the self-styled “Gen Z movement” emerged as a powerful new political force.
Nepali Army chief, General Ashok Raj Sigdel has met with key figures and “representatives of Gen Z”, an army spokesman said, referring to the loose umbrella title of the young protesters, without giving further details, according to AFP.
