'Oli govt failed to read anger of youth, army will play key role'

An expert dismissed suggestions of a hidden hand behind the demonstrations

- Rezaul H Laskar

The KP Sharma Oli government's failure to read growing frustration and anger among Nepal's youth over poor governance and accusations of corruption precipitated the political crisis that could see the army playing a crucial role in finding a way out of the impasse, experts and former diplomats said on Tuesday.

Nepal's so-called Gen Z protest - triggered on Monday by a short-lived shutdown of popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram - expanded to target the government over its perceived failings asa crackdown by police left 19 people dead and hundreds injured.

Incensed by the deaths, demonstrators defied curfew on Tuesday and attacked ministers and political leaders and torched the Parliament and other official buildings in the capital Kathmandu even as Oli-who began a fourth stint as prime minister in July 2024resigned and went into hiding.

Ajaya Bhadra Khanal, research director for the Center for Social Innovation and Foreign Policy (CSIFP) Nepal, dismissed suggestions of a hidden hand behind the demonstrations that swept Kathmandu and other cities in just two days. “This was a very spontaneous protest as there was widespread discontent, especially among the youth, over misrule, corruption and crony capitalism,” he said.