Nepal’s president dissolved parliament on Friday and set nationwide elections for March 5, following a week of deadly, youth-led protests that forced the resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and left at least 51 people dead and more than 1,300 injured.
President Ramchandra Paudel named former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as interim prime minister after two days of negotiations involving the president, army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel and leaders of the “Gen Z” anti-graft demonstrations. Paudel’s office said it had “dissolved the House of Representatives” and fixed the election date for March 5.
Authorities said the protests were sparked by a social media ban that has since been rolled back. The demonstrations, described by participants as anti-corruption and organized largely by younger activists, escalated into the worst unrest the country has seen in years. The violence subsided only after Oli resigned earlier in the week, officials said.
Karki, Nepal’s first woman prime minister, was appointed to head the interim administration as part of an agreement reached to restore order and chart a path to elections. The appointment followed intense discussions aimed at preventing further bloodshed and ensuring a caretaker government could oversee the transition to a new parliament.
Relatives of those killed in the clashes gathered outside the prime minister’s official residence in Kathmandu demanding that the dead be granted martyr status — a designation that recognizes deaths in service of the country — and compensation. Some families refused to collect bodies from morgues until their demands were addressed. “My brother should be declared a martyr as he died for the country, and the government should give compensation to my parents,” said Sumitra Mahat, whose 21-year-old brother, Umesh Mahat, was killed during the protests.
By Saturday, many parts of the capital showed signs of returning normality, with shops reopening and traffic resuming after several prohibitory orders were lifted. Security forces remained on alert in parts of the city while investigations continued into the clashes between demonstrators and police.
India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, congratulated Karki on taking office and said New Delhi is committed to peace, progress and prosperity in Nepal. External observers and regional capitals expressed hope that the transitional arrangements would curb violence and allow a return to regular political processes.
Nepal has struggled with political and economic instability since the monarchy was abolished in 2008. Recurrent government changes, factional disputes and limited job prospects have driven many young Nepalis to seek work abroad in the Middle East, South Korea and Malaysia. Analysts say those long-term issues, alongside allegations of corruption and demands for greater digital freedoms, helped fuel the recent protests.
Officials have not released a detailed casualty breakdown while human rights groups and local activists pressed for independent inquiries into the use of force by security personnel. The government’s decision to call fresh elections and install an interim chief executive is intended to create conditions for a credible vote, but questions remain about how quickly political consensus can be rebuilt and whether protesters’ demands will be addressed within the compressed timeline.
The March 5 election date gives political parties and civil society groups several months to organize, but the period also presents logistical and security challenges in a country of about 30 million people sandwiched between China and India. Paudel, Karki and military and police leaders are expected to focus in coming weeks on stabilizing the capital and ensuring safe conditions for campaigning and polling.
The appointment of an interim prime minister and the setting of an election date mark a significant step toward resolving Nepal’s immediate crisis. Officials and international partners said they will monitor developments as the country prepares for the vote and seeks to address the grievances that sparked the unrest.