Nepal sets March 5 vote, restrictions eased as interim gov’t takes charge

The Himalayan nation picks its first ever female prime minister to head the interim government after deadly unrest.

Nepal will vote in early March, says the president, as an interim government headed by the country’s first female prime minister takes charge after historic public protests.

Hours after appointing former chief justice and anticorruption figure Sushila Karki as the new head of government, President Ramchandra Paudel announced in a statement late on Friday that the 275-seat parliament has been dissolved and elections are fixed for March 5.

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The Himalayan nation of 30 million people, wedged between China and India, is slowly returning to normal, less than a week after widespread Gen Z-led protests following a government ban on social media platforms.

Authorities began easing restrictions on Saturday, with curfew and prohibitory orders lifted in the capital, Kathmandu, though sensitive areas remain off-limits to the public.

The protests evolved into a broader movement against alleged corruption and nepotism among the political elite, with demonstrators setting fire to the parliament, the residences of top politicians, and other public buildings, and forcing Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to step down.

At least 51 people, including 21 protesters, nine prisoners, three police officers and 18 others, were killed in protests since Monday, police said. About 1,000 prisoners who escaped from multiple jails countrywide were returned, but over 12,500 others remain on the run, according to the police.

The anger among Nepalese protesters was also rooted in economic malaise, with many young people dissatisfied with how they struggle to get by as political leaders and their offspring enjoy luxurious lifestyles.

Many Gen Z youth and others said they are frustrated by a lack of employment, especially in rural areas, something that has driven millions to seek work in other countries across the Middle East, as well as in South Korea and Malaysia.

Karki was appointed the interim prime minister after two days of intense negotiations between President Paudel, army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel and the protest leaders behind Nepal’s worst upheaval in years.

News of Karki’s appointment was welcomed by neighbouring India, whose Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his congratulations in a post on X. “India is fully committed to the peace, progress, and prosperity of Nepal’s brothers and sisters,” he wrote.

China has not yet reacted to the new prime minister in Nepal, but the country had urged calm during the protests, calling for the protection of citizens and work to restore order.

Source:

Al Jazeera and news agencies