Nepal Army Consults Youth Amid Political Turmoil
KATHMANDU — Nepal’s Army Chief, General Ashok Raj Sigdel, held consultations with key stakeholders and met with representatives of Gen Z on Wednesday, a military spokesperson confirmed, as the country grapples with its worst political violence in two decades. Details of the discussions were not disclosed.
The army is working to restore order in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people after a wave of unrest on Tuesday toppled the prime minister and left the parliament building in flames.
“Right now, Sushila Karki’s name is coming up to lead the interim government — we are now waiting for the president to make a move,” said Rakshya Bam, one of the attendees. “We discussed with the army chief about the future and how to move forward while keeping peace and security in the country.”
Karki, 73, Nepal’s first female Supreme Court chief justice and a respected academic, told AFP that “experts need to come together to figure out the way forward,” noting that “the parliament still stands.”
However, the choice of leadership by the protest movement — which is not a single organized party — remains far from unanimous. In a virtual meeting on the platform Discord, thousands of young people debated their priorities and discussed potential representatives, with several conflicting voices and proposals emerging.
“There are divisions,” said journalist Pranaya Rana. “In a decentralized movement like this, competing interests and voices are natural.”
On Thursday, soldiers patrolled Kathmandu for a second day. The city appeared quiet, though multiple army checkpoints were in place.
The protests began on Monday in response to the government’s social media restrictions and allegations of corruption, but quickly escalated nationwide. Government buildings were set ablaze during the unrest, and at least 19 people were killed in a violent crackdown.
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