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Nepal’s major political parties have demanded the country’s President Ram Chandra Poudel reinstates the parliament he dissolved following deadly anti-corruption protests.<\/p>\n
In a statement, eight parties – including the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Maoist Centre – said the president acted unconstitutionally.<\/p>\n
Poudel dissolved the House of Representatives on Friday upon the recommendation of newly-appointed interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki – it was also a key demand from the protest movement.<\/p>\n
More than 50 people were killed in clashes with riot police during this week’s mass protests sparked by a ban on social media platforms. Karki was appointed after a deal was reached with protest leaders.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Saturday’s statement demanding the reinstatement of the parliament was signed by the chief whips of the eight political parties. <\/p>\n
They argued the step taken by the president was unconstitutional and against the precedents set by Nepal’s judiciary.<\/p>\n
The dissolution of the parliament was a major demand by student leaders from the so-called “Gen Z” protest movement.<\/p>\n
But the eight parties say the protesters’ demands – including new elections announced for 5 March next year – should be addressed through an institution voted by the people.<\/p>\n
President Poudel is yet to publicly respond to the political parties’ statement.<\/p>\n
Karki, a 73-year-old former Supreme Court chief justice and the first woman to lead the impoverished Himalayan nation, was sworn in during a brief ceremony in the capital Kathmandu.<\/p>\n
She is expected to appoint ministers to her cabinet within a few days.<\/p>\n
She is widely regarded as having a clean image, and her leadership of the interim government is being supported by student leaders from the “Gen Z” movement.<\/p>\n
But her cabinet will face multiple challenges, including restoring law and order, reconstructing parliament and the other key buildings that were attacked, reassuring the Gen Z protesters who want change – and others in Nepal who are fearful its young democracy and constitutional order could be derailed.<\/p>\n
Another key task will be to bring those responsible for violence to justice.<\/p>\n
Nepal is gradually returning back to normalcy after the worst unrest in decades. <\/p>\n
Nepal’s soldiers – who had been deployed to patrol the streets of Kathmandu – returned to their bases after Karki took the oath of office.<\/p>\n
The protests were triggered by the government’s decision last week to ban 26 social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook – but they soon widened to embody much deeper discontent with Nepal’s political elite.<\/p>\n
In the weeks before the ban, a “nepo kid” campaign – spotlighting the lavish lifestyles of politicians’ children and allegations of corruption – had taken off on social media.<\/p>\n
And while the social media ban was hastily lifted on Monday night, the protests had by that stage gained unstoppable momentum.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n