Nepal’s army has begun a new round of negotiations with protest leaders to select an interim leader for the country, following a week of intense unrest that led to the ousting of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. The turmoil, described by observers as the most severe in decades, has plunged the Himalayan nation into a constitutional crisis, sparking concern both domestically and internationally.
The protests, which turned violent earlier this week, were ignited by a controversial Government decision to impose a nationwide social media ban — an attempt to suppress mounting dissent from the youth-led “Gen-Z” movement.
Authorities have since rescinded the ban, but the damage has already been done. Clashes between protesters and security forces resulted in at least 34 confirmed deaths and more than 1,300 injuries, according to the Ministry of Health.
Kathmandu remains under heavy military surveillance. For a second consecutive day on Thursday, soldiers in camouflage uniforms patrolled the Capital’s eerily quiet streets, aiming to maintain order while the army-led talks progress behind closed doors.
With Prime Minister Oli’s Government effectively dissolved, the Nepali Army has assumed a stabilising role. Army spokesperson Colonel Raja Ram Basnet confirmed to media that negotiations with protest representatives were “ongoing” and that the military’s goal was to “normalise the situation slowly.”
One name has emerged repeatedly in talks as a potential interim leader, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki. Appointed in 2016 as Nepal’s first female chief justice, Karki is respected for her integrity, legal acumen and independent stance on political interference.
“We see Sushila Karki for who she truly is — honest, fearless, and unshaken,” said a protestor.
Though Karki has not issued any public statement, sources close to the negotiation process say she has not ruled out the possibility of stepping in to lead an interim Government, which would be responsible for organising fresh elections and stabilising the constitutional process.
President Ramchandra Paudel, whose role is largely ceremonial under Nepal’s federal democratic republic structure, issued a rare direct appeal on Thursday. In a televised statement, he called for unity and reaffirmed that “every effort is being made to find a way out of the current difficult situation within the constitutional framework.”
Amid the political chaos, security concerns deepened after a mass jailbreak attempt in Rajbiraj, Saptari District. According to a statement from the Nepali Army, 192 prisoners who attempted to escape have been apprehended. The escape occurred during the peak of the protests, adding further stress to already stretched security forces.
Indian authorities, particularly the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), played a critical role in intercepting and returning 60 of the escapees at various checkpoints along the porous India-Nepal border. An additional seven inmates were captured by India’s border security and handed over to the Nepali authorities.
Locals also assisted in the recapture, with one prisoner reportedly caught and turned in by residents, and a dozen inmates voluntarily surrendering back to the prison.
The coming days will be crucial for Nepal’s political trajectory. While the military’s involvement in the political process has raised concerns among civil society groups and international observers, there is cautious optimism that a neutral figure like Sushila Karki could calm tensions and lead the country toward a democratic reset.
However, the long-term stability of Nepal will depend not just on leadership selection, but on systemic reforms — including addressing the demands of its restless, digitally-connected youth population that was at the heart of the Gen-Z protests.
For now, the country watches and waits — hoping that its leaders, both military and civilian, can navigate one of the most challenging chapters in Nepal’s modern history.