Prime Minister Sharma Oli of Nepal has stepped down from his post amid ongoing fatal anti-corruption demonstrations nationwide, which have reportedly claimed at least 22 lives.
Clashes erupted on Monday between police and ‘Gen-Z’ demonstrators, primarily in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. These confrontations were triggered by a government-imposed social media ban that rendered services inaccessible to users across the nation.
Protesters torched the nation’s parliament building and the residences of several senior political figures.
Public dissatisfaction with the Nepalese government had been escalating, culminating in Monday’s protest outbreak. A significant portion of the population believes that corruption is a major issue, according to Transparency International, an anti-corruption organization.
Prime Minister Oli’s resignation on Tuesday followed Monday’s violent events, during which police used rubber bullets and tear gas against crowds, resulting in the deaths of 19 individuals.
“In view of the adverse situation in the country, I have resigned effective today to facilitate the solution to the problem and to help resolve it politically in accordance with the constitution,” he stated in his resignation letter to President Ramchandra Paudel.
Footage from Monday’s unrest depicts demonstrators, some of whom were wearing school uniforms, suffering severe head wounds as they neared the parliament building.
The social media ban was also lifted in response to Monday’s fatal demonstrations. However, even with these actions, the situation intensified on Tuesday as protestors initiated blockades of government ministers’ offices in Kathmandu, as well as in other locations.
Throughout Tuesday, damage to public infrastructure and commercial establishments persisted, extending beyond Kathmandu, the primary site of Monday’s protests.
The provincial assembly building for the Gandaki province in Pokhara, Nepal’s second largest city, was attacked, as was the Siraha District Court in southeast Nepal. Additionally, at least several buildings across the Rupandehi province and other facilities in the area also sustained damage.
The offices of local news outlet Kantipur were targeted on Tuesday, rendering the network, as well as local media outlet the Kathmandu Post, incapable of publishing updates on their respective websites.
An indefinite curfew was imposed in a district in southern Nepal, as well as for the entire Dang district in the southwest. However, protestors have disregarded these curfews, mirroring the actions of those in Kathmandu on Monday.
In a statement issued Tuesday evening, Chief of the Nepal Army Staff Ashok Raj Sigdel announced that the army would be deployed starting at 10 p.m. local time to manage the situation. “To guide the country towards peace from the current challenging circumstances, we urge protesters to halt their demonstrations and engage in dialogue,” he added.
On Tuesday, all airports throughout Nepal were closed, including Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport, the nation’s largest. Security personnel have been deployed to the airport, and all international and domestic flights remain suspended until further notice.
