Leaders of Nepal’s “Gen Z” protest movement are continuing to meet with the army to discuss appointing an interim leader to run the country as an uneasy calm descends on the country after days of deadly violence.
Nepal’s capital remains under tight security after riots forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign.
Schools are still closed, while some essential services have resumed following protests against corruption, economic stagnation, and the government’s short-lived social media ban.
An army spokesperson said talks would resume.
In a statement, Nepal’s President Ramchandra Paudel appealed to all parties involved in negotiations “to be confident that a solution to the problem is being sought as soon as possible to address the demands of the protesting citizens”.
A name emerges for interim leader
Attention has turned to who will lead an interim administration.
Protesters have rallied behind Sushila Karki, a former chief justice of the Supreme Court widely seen as independent of Nepal’s political establishment.
“The clear favourite emerging from the Gen Z protesters is Sushila Karki, Nepal’s former chief justice. I think this is an excellent choice,” said Bishal Sapkota, a Nepalese software engineer living in Australia.
“During her tenure, she demonstrated remarkable independence, making Supreme Court decisions without aligning to any major political parties and earning widespread respect from citizens, while being resented by the political establishment.”
Bishal Sapkota is among those calling or the former supreme justice to lead Nepal through its transition. (Supplied: Bishal Sapkota)
Protesters say her legal background and reputation for integrity make her the right person to oversee a transition.
“She’s well-spoken, down-to-earth, embodies Nepali values, and brings deep knowledge of Nepal’s constitution and political system — exactly what’s needed for this transitional moment,” Mr Sapkota said.
Ms Karki’s appointment could be formally made as soon as Friday following a meeting at President Ramchandra Paudel’s residence, according to a Gen Z source involved in the talks.
A director of an international NGO in Kathmandu, who asked not to be named due to the sensitive situation, also praised the young organisers as they entered negotiations.
“I think what they have done is tremendous. We haven’t seen this before — tens of thousands of people on social media debating who should be the right candidate to be the interim leader,” he said.
“The strength of the constitution is it’s inclusive. It’s federal. The power is very close to the people. We have 753 local governments.”
“It’s quite a liberal democracy in terms of what is written in the constitution but the challenge is that people are disgruntled because these 70-plus leaders never wanted to leave their seats to the younger generation.
“So you have had three senior leaders who have been holding, clinching on to the power for the last 30 years and that has promoted nepotism.”
Kathmandu mayor gains support
Some Gen Z activists have floated Balendra Shah, the 35-year-old mayor of Kathmandu, as a potential leader.
A civil engineer, Mr Shah studied in Nepal and India before entering politics.
He has led anti-corruption drives, pursued tax cases against private schools, and pushed for stronger oversight of public education.
Yet Mr Shah himself has endorsed Ms Karki as interim leader, according to local media.
“I don’t think he wants to be interim leader — I think he wants to be a leader for the longer term in my view,” the INGO director said.
Balendra Shah is also a former rap artist and composer. (Reuters: Stringer)
Ms Karki, Nepal’s first female chief justice when appointed in 2016, remains the frontrunner for what some are calling a Neutral Interim Authority Council.
But she still has her critics.
“The Nepal army and a few others may have reservations, as she was nominated by the former prime minister who just resigned,” the INGO director explained.
“But the majority are saying she is the most credible, with a clean record, to lead the process despite divided opinion.”
For many younger protesters, consensus has not yet been reached.
A 26-year-old woman who joined the demonstrations in Kathmandu, who asked not to be named due to safety concerns, was concerned that the uncertainty would open the door to royalist influence.
“If we go beyond the constitution, we create a vacuum — and that’s where the monarchy could step in. For us, the constitution is our strongest safeguard,” she said.
Decentralised protests organised online
Unlike earlier protest waves, this movement has been loosely organised across multiple cities rather than directed by a single group.
Organisers relied on platforms such as Discord, where channels with up to 10,000 participants have been active in recent days.
“This was an organic, decentralised protest across multiple cities — not a centrally organised movement,” Bishal Sapkota explained.
“Frankly, the protesters didn’t expect the government to fall within just two days, so they were somewhat unprepared for this rapid success.”
Nepal’s parliament will also need to be repaired after it was set ablaze in the unrest.
(Reuters: Adnan Abidi)
He said attention had shifted to charting the next steps.
“They’re actively consulting with industry leaders, lawyers, and experts to determine the best path forward and restore normal governance as quickly as possible,” he said.
The 26-year-old protester said the lack of a single leader was deliberate.
“In our generation, nobody is saying ‘I’ll take this leadership position’. We genuinely want the right people to lead, not just someone hungry for power,” she said.
“Of course, part of it is fear, but part of it is that we want the process to be collective.”
Army’s crackdown under scrutiny
The upheaval has left visible scars across Kathmandu.
Parts of parliament were charred by fire, several ministers’ homes were attacked, and vehicles lay burnt out near government offices.
Mr Oli’s private residence was also set ablaze during the clashes.
The army said curfew orders would remain in place until Friday morning, warning that further unrest would be met with “strict action”.
Yet there were signs of life returning to normal.
Television images showed young volunteers sweeping debris from streets near parliament and clearing rubble from damaged buildings.
The clean-up from the riots is expected to take some time. (Reuters: Navesh Chitrakar)
But some protesters questioned the army’s handling of the crisis.
“The second day became really violent — many doctors said those on the streets seemed under the influence. Yet the army only imposed a curfew late at night,” the 26-year-old woman told the ABC.
“We are curious why they delayed stepping in. It feels like the army is deliberately dragging this process.”
The army said it would continue working with protesters through talks.
“We are trying to normalise the situation first. We are committed to protect the life and property of people,” said army spokesman Raja Ram Basnet.
Questions of outside interference linger
Alongside street clashes, fears of outside interference and online manipulation have unsettled protesters.
The 26-year-old said she and others had seen signs of infiltration.
“This was supposed to be a peaceful protest. How is it possible that in two days so many goons appeared on the streets? We believe Hindutva forces in India and pro-monarchy factions here are trying to take advantage of the situation,” she said.
She described attempts to hijack the movement online.
“A lot of Facebook pages that used to call themselves Hindu groups have suddenly renamed themselves with Gen Z titles and are pushing royalist agendas. It’s a strategy to manipulate young people who never lived under the monarchy.”
Indian media narratives have also fuelled suspicion.
“Some posters are even trying to suggest Nepalese want Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi as our prime minister. That is not what we want. We want change, but within democratic and constitutional norms,” she said.
Elections could be held within six months, according to some analysts, but protesters say much depends on the interim government.
“I want Nepal to be led by a team that is genuinely free from corruption — leaders the people can trust, aligned with Nepali values and interests, regardless of their background,” Mr Sapkota said.
ABC/wires