Nepal’s young protesters, army in talks to decide interim leader

KATHMANDU: Nepal’s army will resume talks on Thursday with “Gen Z” protesters to decide a new interim leader for the Himalayan nation, an army spokesperson said, after angry demonstrations that killed 30 and forced the prime minister to resign.

Soldiers patrolled the quiet streets of Kathmandu, the capital, after its worst protests in years triggered by a social media ban that authorities rolled back after 19 deaths as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to control crowds.

“Initial talks are on and would continue today,” Raja Ram Basnet, the spokesperson, told Reuters, referring to the discussions on a new interim leader. “We are trying to normalise the situation slowly.”

The death toll from the protests had risen to 30 by Thursday, Nepal’s health ministry said, with 1,033 injured.

Prohibitory orders will stay in Kathmandu and surrounding areas for most of the day, the army said in a statement, while an airport spokesman said international flights were operating.

The demonstrations are popularly referred to as the “Gen Z” protests since most participants were young people voicing frustration at the government’s perceived failure to fight corruption and boost economic opportunities.

The protesters have called for former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as interim prime minister, said Raman Kumar Karna, the secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association, whom they consulted.

Nepal army bids to restore order after deadly protests oust PM

“When they requested me, I accepted,” Karki told Indian television news channel CNN-News18.

The protests, in which government buildings, from the supreme court to ministers’ homes, including Oli’s private residence, were also set ablaze, only subsided after the prime minister resigned.

Business establishments set on fire included several hotels in the tourist town of Pokhara and the Hilton in Kathmandu.