Kathmandu, Sept 10 (IANS) Rapper-turned-politician and Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah has issued a public appeal urging calm and patience as Nepal prepares for a transition into an interim government-led regime.
In a social media post addressed to Gen Z and the broader Nepali public, Shah acknowledged the country’s entry into an unprecedented political phase and expressed support for the formation of a caretaker administration to oversee fresh elections.
Shah endorsed the proposal to appoint former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the head of the interim government, describing it as a mature and thoughtful choice by the youth.
“Your awareness, judgment, and unity deserve deep respect,” he wrote.
He cautioned political aspirants against rushing into leadership roles, stating that their energy and commitment are needed for long-term change, not temporary arrangements.
“Elections will happen. Please don’t be in a hurry,” Shah added.
In a direct appeal to Nepal’s President, Shah called for the immediate dissolution of Parliament and the formal establishment of an interim government, emphasising the need to protect what he described as a “historic revolution” led by Gen Z.
The post comes amid growing public discourse around political reform and youth-led movements in Nepal, as calls for systemic change continue to gain momentum.
Meanwhile, Nepal’s Gen-Z leaders remained divided over the leadership of the next government in the country till Wednesday evening ahead of the crunch meeting with the top leadership of the Nepal Army, which has taken over the responsibility of maintaining law and order in the nation after Tuesday’s mayhem in Kathmandu.
The Nepali Army had invited the leaders of the protests for dialogue following Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli’s resignation from his post amid intense Gen-Z protests against his rule on Tuesday.
Several Gen-Z activists have been holding internal talks to finalise an apolitical figure to lead the next interim government. However, they have not reached any agreement on the name, according to two Gen-Z leaders.
Rabi Kiran Hamal, a Gen-Z leader involved in the discussion, revealed to IANS that the names of the former Managing Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority, Kul Man Ghising and Dharan City Mayor Harka Sampang have also been floated.
Hamal, who has been claimed to be a cadre of the royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party, however, said that he wants a Gen-Z representative to lead the next government.
Karki, 73, was appointed as Nepal’s first woman Chief Justice in April 2016 and retired in June 2017. She was briefly suspended from the role of Chief Justice after the lawmakers from the then ruling parties — Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Centre) registered an impeachment motion at the House of Representatives in April 2017 against her for an alleged biased verdict. In another case, she was crucial to oust the powerful chief of the anti-corruption body over eligibility grounds. Many consider her a very strong-willed woman.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Wednesday, Nepali Congress General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishow Prakash Sharma have stressed that any decisions made under the “doctrine of necessity” can and must move forward through constitutional and legal pathways.
Meanwhile, Nepal Police said that more than 13,500 inmates have escaped from prisons across the country on Tuesday and Wednesday as the police administration was paralysed during the Gen-Z protests across the country.
“More than 500 people who were taken into custody for criminal investigations also escaped from the custody,” said Nepal Police Spokesperson DIG Binod Ghimire.
According to him, the law-and-order situation remained largely stable on Wednesday across the country, with major incidents taking place in Kathmandu Valley.
–IANS
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