NEPALI POLITICS

  As the nation gears up for March 5,2026 general elections, the challenges for the old generation leaders and the new generation leaders to lure the voters towards them have been more noticeable. It is perhaps one of the most important elections in the history of the country. A generational clash is imminent in this election, and this clash would decide the future of known political figures in the country.   Who knew what had started as a protest against the social media ban would turn out to be another Jana Andolan in the political history. On September 8, Gen-Zs came out to protest against the Oli led government ’s blanket ban on social media, such as X, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. Their protests were met with fierce state power mercilessly killing 19 young protestors. This first day’s violent episode was the trigger for a much wider movement in the second day killing 76 people pushing the nation into political chaos and into constitutional vacuum . The then govern...

Dear sisters and brothers, On the occasion of remembering the joyous day seventy-five years ago when democracy first dawned in Nepal through the joint efforts of the people and the monarchy, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all Nepalis. We pay tribute to our forefathers, especially King Tribhuvan , whose generosity and vision helped establish democracy, and we offer our respects to him. We also honor the known and unknown martyrs who gave their lives for democracy, and all those who have actively worked for its advancement. Upon returning to Kathmandu after spending several months in Jhapa, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the indigenous citizens of the Valley and the broader public who welcomed me. The love and goodwill shown toward me in this difficult moment have touched my heart deeply and inspired a strong sense of duty. Nepal today finds itself trapped in an abnormal turmoil. Every patriotic Nepali senses that the nation’s very identity and existence are at ris...

Sick of a corrupt political system and political class, sick of seeing the same discredited and tested old leaders taking turns to lead and loot the country, sick of seeing no future path but to leave for work abroad, which thousands do every single day, the young people, under the banner of “ Gen Z protests ”, took to the streets on 8 September. The peaceful protests suddenly turned into violence, and after police opened fire the death toll climbed to 19, with hospitals packed full of the injured. Following day, i.e. 9 September, the nation was plunged into total chaos leaving behind 76 people dead and a number government buildings and private properties in many districts were burnt down. These were the deadliest days of protest that the nation has ever seen. The chief mandate of the interim government is to conduct free and fair elections and hand over the reins to the new government. Elections have been called for 5 March 2026. The political parties initially had denounced it...

Harka Raj Rai, popularly known as Harka Sampang , is an independent Nepali politician, social activist, and the current Mayor of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City since May 2022 . Known for his grassroots activism , anti-corruption stance , and hands-on leadership style , Rai has become a symbol of an independent politician . His tenure has been marked by bold initiatives to address water scarcity , environmental issues , governance reforms and as well as controversies over his confrontational  approach. His political journey began through social activism rather than party politics. After returning from abroad, he founded the National Unity Network , a platform to protest against corruption and advocate for good governance. He became widely known for his campaigns against: ·        - -Illegal sand extraction from rivers ·        - Tax hikes ·        - -Water scarcity in Dharan ·        ...

National politics is at a crossroads, moving from post- Gen Z protest instability towards elections, focusing on anti-corruption , good governance , and revisiting federalism , while new political forces (like Ujyalo Nepal ) push for systemic reforms (e.g., non-party local elections , term limits , judicial independence ) against traditional parties , grappling with deep-seated issues like youth disillusionment and the demand for economic development over mere political change . Key themes are rebuilding public trust , transforming party culture , and ensuring inclusive governance , with leaders like independent leaders Balen Shah and Harka Sampang emerging as figures of change, though challenges remain in balancing federalism, accountability , and economic progress . The recent Gen Z protests have also exposed deep social and generational fault lines. The movement has widened a significant gap between a younger, digitally connected generation yearning for change and an older pol...

Sushila Karki led government was/is supposed to do the following jobs as soon as it had occupied the interim government chair considering its formation following the violent demonstration of October 8 and 9 that toppled the almost two-third majority Oli led coalition government of the UML and the NC . It should have, besides its mandate of holding general election,: 1.   Arrested the responsible persons/authorities for ordering and killing 76 protesters including Gen-Zs . 2.   Formed high level commission to investigate high level corruption scams 3.   Formed high level commission comprising constitutional experts and representatives of political parties to amend the existing constitution. 4.   Removed all the political appointees in all the constitutional commissions and councils. 5.   Formed high level commission to investigate the misuse and recovery of cooperative funds and pay back depositors saving funds. 6.   Arranged for payments of sugar far...

State’s brutality on Gen-Z protestors   Political protests and public uprisings are not new in the country. The country’s first mass uprising in 1990 (labelled “ Jana Andolan I ”) and the second in 2006 (“ Jana Andolan II ”) both called for major changes in the political system. But all the governments since then failed to meet the public’s hopes for real reforms. On September 3 , the government banned 26 social media platforms, including WhatsApp , Instagram and Facebook , for failing to meet a deadline to register with the ministry of communication and information technology. Gen Z saw the ban as censorship . The frustration spreading on social media quickly turned into a nationwide uprising. The government was compelled to lift the ban on September 8, but it was too late to save the coalition government .   Owing to state’s excessive use of force, 75 protestors were killed in the protests. Of these, one was a 12 year old child and at least 19 were young s...

Oli inviting more trouble? The ousted prime minister KP Sharma Oli seems to be in more trouble after he verbally attacked the interim government accusing it unconstitutionally formed government during his first appearance among the followers in his rented house .The Gen-Z group who spearheaded the Gen-Z protests that toppled his government have demanded the Oli's arrests for his alleged role in ordering the September 8 shootout that killed 19 agitators, including a 12-year-old school boy, when the police allegedly opened fire on protesters during the anti-government protests . The recent deadly protests that forced the resignation of Prime Minister KP Oli and the dissolution of the parliament were about banning social media , bad governance and corruption scams. Kathmandu ’s streets saw the roll out of anger and a palpable sense of frustration forced the Oli led government fall in less than two days.   Now he seems to get annoyed hearing about various gossip about gettin...