Gen-Z leaders divided as Nepal searches for next Prime Minister
Nepal’s Gen-Z leaders remained divided over the choice of the next head of government on Wednesday evening, ahead of a crucial meeting with the top brass of the Nepal Army. The Army has assumed responsibility for maintaining law and order following Tuesday’s violent protests in Kathmandu.
The Army invited protest leaders for dialogue after Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned from his post amid intense youth-led demonstrations against his rule.
According to two Gen-Z leaders, discussions are underway to finalise an apolitical figure to lead the interim government, but no consensus has been reached so far.
“Several Gen-Z leaders have proposed former Chief Justice Sushila Karki to head the next government,” said Rabi Kiran Hamal, one of the leaders involved in the talks. He added that other names being considered include former Nepal Electricity Authority Managing Director Kul Man Ghising and Dharan Mayor Harka Sampang.
Hamal, reportedly linked to the royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party, said he personally prefers a Gen-Z representative to take the top job.
Karki, 73, became Nepal’s first woman Chief Justice in 2016 and retired the following year. She was briefly suspended after lawmakers filed an impeachment motion against her over an allegedly biased verdict, though she is still regarded as a strong-willed figure.
Ghising is widely credited with ending the country’s chronic power cuts, and his recent ouster by the Oli government drew public criticism. Sampang, elected as an independent in 2022, is considered a populist leader.
Notably, Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah — once seen as a frontrunner for the post — is no longer under consideration, said Gen-Z leader K.P. Khanal.
The growing number of individuals joining the protest movement and claiming to represent Gen-Z has further complicated the leadership debate. Observers note that appointing an independent figure as Prime Minister would go beyond the mandate of Nepal’s 2015 constitution.
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishow Prakash Sharma issued a joint statement urging that any “doctrine of necessity” decisions must remain within constitutional and legal frameworks.
“Lawlessness will only invite further chaos. During the dialogue, we appeal to the President and the Gen-Z side to ensure all measures are taken to avoid a prolonged constitutional vacuum,” the statement read.
Separately, Nepal Police confirmed that more than 13,500 inmates escaped from prisons nationwide during the protests, alongside over 500 detainees held in custody for criminal investigations.
Despite the disruptions, officials said the overall law-and-order situation stabilised on Wednesday, though Kathmandu Valley saw sporadic incidents.
The Nepal Tourism Board announced that Tribhuvan International Airport resumed operations from 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday and advised foreign visitors to contact their airlines for flight updates.
