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Army out, curfew clamped as Nepal hunts for a new leader
5 minor juvenile inmates died during a clash with security personnel at a jail in western Nepal, while over 7,000 prisoners escaped from jails in the country
KATHMANDU: Soldiers guarded Nepal’s parliament and patrolled deserted streets on Wednesday with Kathmandu under a curfew, after two days of deadly anti-corruption protests forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign, as leaders of the agitation threw up a clutch of names of people who could head an interim government.
Among those being considered include Nepal’s former chief justice Sushila Karki, Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah and former electricity board chief Kulman Ghising, said people involved in the discussions in the aftermath of the “Gen Z protests” that have rocked the country.
The death toll during the protests rose to 25 by Wednesday, Nepal’s health ministry said, while 633 were injured.
Meanwhile, at least five minor juvenile inmates died during a clash with security personnel at a jail in western Nepal, while more than 7,000 prisoners escaped from prisons across the country.
Negotiations between representatives and the protesters started during the day at the Nepal army headquarters, but no decision was reached on a succession plan, said the people cited above. Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport resumed services from Wednesday evening, 24 hours after shutting as chaos engulfed the country. And as talks continued, the army tried to take control of the streets. Armoured personnel carriers rumbled past the carcasses of burnt vehicles and buildings on the largely quiet streets, with officers issuing orders via loudspeakers calling for calm during the political vacuum. Former PM Jhala Nath Khanal’s wife Ravi Laxmi Chitrakar, who sustained serious burn injuries, is critical and undergoing treatment at a hospital, said a media report.
Amid the chaos, Nepali Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel held “consultations with related stakeholders and held a meeting with representatives of Gen Z,” Rajaram Basnet said, referring to the loose umbrella title of the young protesters, but without giving further details.
Karki, 73, said the dialogue between parties was critical.
“Experts need to come together to figure out the way forward”, Karki told AFP. “The parliament still stands.” Separately, she told CNN-News18: “When they requested me, I accepted.”
In a post on X, the army said prohibitory orders imposing a curfew would remain in force until Thursday morning.
“Any demonstrations, vandalism, looting, arson, and attacks on individuals and property in the name of protest will be considered punishable crimes...”.
Ex-PM’s wife alive; Critical, but stable, say doctors
A mob set the house belonging to Khanal on fire in the Dallu area of Kathmandu on Tuesday.Chitrakar, who was trapped inside the house, sustained serious burn injuries.Some Nepalese media outlets on Tuesday reported that she succumbed to her injuries at a hospital. However, The Kathmandu Post newspaper on Wednesday reported that Chitrakar’s health condition is stable but critical. “Her health condition is critical and as it was at the time she was brought in for treatment,” said Dr Kiran Nakarmi, director at the Kirtipur Hospital, where she was rushed in a serious condition.
