A new wave of youth-led protests, branded the “Gen Z uprising,” has thrust Nepal into a political turning point following the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. What began as outrage over a government ban on 26 social media platforms has grown into a nationwide movement against corruption, nepotism, and the lack of economic opportunities. The protests have already claimed at least 34 lives, with over 1,000 injured in violent clashes with security forces.
Amid the unrest, divisions have surfaced within the Gen Z movement itself over leadership of an interim government. Initially, thousands of protesters backed former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki, but her candidacy was later challenged on constitutional grounds that bar former justices from serving as prime minister.
Attention has now shifted to Engineer Kulman Ghising, the widely respected former head of the Nepal Electricity Authority, celebrated for ending the country’s decades-long power outage crisis. On Thursday, a faction of Gen Z protesters formally proposed Ghising to lead the interim government, calling him a “patriotic person loved by everyone.”
Talks are ongoing at the Army Headquarters in Bhadrakali, with Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel, Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel, and other stakeholders engaged in discussions to end the political stalemate. The Nepali Congress has expressed willingness to cooperate with Gen Z protesters, while stressing that any solution must remain within constitutional boundaries.
The outcome of these talks will determine whether Nepal’s Gen Z movement succeeds in reshaping the nation’s political future.