Description: Nepal’s Army Chief, Ashok Raj Sigdel, has actively engaged representatives from the Gen Z protests which have deconstructed the country’s government. Sigdel, after deploying the military to suppress violent unrest, engaged the protesters in lengthy discussions where the country is expected to formulate a way forward and establish a credible reformist government. Justice Minister Sushila Kirki has emerged as the leading candidate to replace the ousted K.P. Sharma Oli as the country’s new Prime Minister, enjoying public support due to her position on tackling corruption and government reforms. Constitutional obstacles remain, as the country’s Constitution states that the next Prime Minister should be selected from Parliament as opposed to one of the current ministers. Kathmandu’s mayor, Balendra Shah, after being floated as a potential replacement for Oli, stated that he fully supported Kirki’s nomination as he expected the interim government to call for elections and designate the political mandate to a democratically elected government.
Impact: Nepal’s military in times of crisis has demonstrated tremendous levels of political clarity and distanced itself from historical traditions of seizing governmental power. General Sigdel has denounced any speculations which would position the country’s military as the de facto ruler in the long – term and has instead engaged into discussions with the nation’s future generation. Kirki’s potential appointment as Prime Minister, despite facing constitutional obstacles, eases tensions in the country and paints a clearer picture for Nepal’s future. The healthy dose of constructive political will across the entire spectrum of involved parties indicates that Nepal would surmount the turmoil from the violent protests expediently. Uncertainty still exists, since the new government would be faced with practically reconstructing the country’s entire political and economic system through concrete steps and reforms. Currently there are no indications of power struggles or substantial political divisions, however, taking into account Nepal’s developing parallel ties with regional influential countries such as China and India, the potential for instability however low, remains present.