Gen Z Turns on Interim Government in Nepal After Deadly Protests; Demand for Accountability Remains Unmet

When 22-year-old Mukesh Awasti decided in September to join youth demonstrations against corruption in Kathmandu, he expected to fight for change — not lose a leg. Shot during the unrest, Awasti had the limb amputated at the National Trauma Center and now says he regrets the sacrifices given how little the interim government has delivered since the protests.

Mukesh Awasti, 22, who took part in September protests against corruption in Nepal and lost his leg after being shot by security forces, lies on a hospital bed during treatment in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Violent demonstrations that began on Sept. 8 left 76 people dead and more than 2,300 injured. The unrest culminated in the Sept. 12 appointment of Sushila Karki, a retired Supreme Court judge and Nepal’s first female prime minister, who pledged to organize parliamentary elections on March 5.

FILE - Protesters celebrate at the parliament building after it was set on fire during a protest against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Prakash Timalsina, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Promises Versus Reality

Many of the young protesters who helped bring the interim administration to power say the government has fallen short. Protesters hoped for immediate action on corruption and accountability for security forces who fired on demonstrators; instead, critics say the anti-graft agency has filed only one notable case that did not target major political figures implicated by activists.

FILE - Nepal's new Prime Minister Sushila Karki waits as ministers prepare to take the oath of office administered by Nepali President Ram Chandra Poudel at the presidential building in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

“I am regretting my decision to take part in the protest because there has been zero achievement from the new government we brought, which has failed us,” said Awasti. “There should be an end to corruption, which has not happened, and the people who opened fire on the demonstrations should have been arrested — that has not happened either.”

Renewed Protests and Rising Frustration

In recent weeks dozens of demonstrators, including many injured in September, have returned to the streets outside the prime minister’s office. Police have broken up some rallies. Suman Bohara, who walks on crutches after his right foot was shattered, said: “We are back here in the street because the government has failed to live up to their promise. There are so many families of those who lost their lives and many who were injured — what has the government done? Nothing.”

Members of Gen Z protest groups are joined by injured victims and family members of those who died during September protests at a candlelight vigil outside the Parliament building in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The Sept. 8 protests began as a youth-led outcry over corruption, joblessness, poor governance and a government ban on social media. Demonstrators pushed past barricades trying to enter parliament and were met with live fire. The unrest spread nationwide the following day, with mobs burning government offices and the homes of top politicians; some officials fled by helicopter. The army later helped restore order, and political negotiations produced Karki’s appointment with a focused mandate to prepare elections.

Fragmented Movement, Unclear Demands

Analysts say internal divisions among the so-called Gen Z activists have weakened sustained pressure for broader reforms. Different factions demand divergent outcomes — from direct election of prime ministers and scrapping the constitution to jailing past politicians accused of corruption. There is no single leader or unified platform representing the movement.

“All the confusion right now in Nepal is because of the lack of clarity among the Gen Z groups on what they are demanding and how the government was formed,” said Abeeral Thapa, principal of Polygon College of Journalism and Mass Communications in Kathmandu. He noted Nepal’s constitution does not explicitly provide for forming an interim government and that the president framed the interim administration’s main task as organizing elections.

With the March 5 vote still the officially stated goal, many activists now question whether elections alone will address calls for immediate accountability and deep reforms. Observers say timing and security remain uncertain, and that unless protesters coalesce around clear, achievable demands, momentum for structural change may falter.

What’s At Stake

The protests exposed broad youth frustration over corruption and limited opportunity in Nepal, and they briefly toppled political norms by forcing a change in leadership. The coming weeks will test whether the interim government can deliver credible elections and whether the fragmented Gen Z movement can translate public anger into durable political reform.