KATHMANDU: Nepal’s President Ramchandra Paudel on Friday dissolved parliament and announced fresh general elections for March 5, 2026, following a week of violent unrest that forced the resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and led to the appointment of the country’s first woman to head an interim government.
The president’s office said Paudel had “dissolved the House of Representatives … and fixed March 5, 2026, Thursday for the elections.” The move came only hours after Paudel swore in former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as interim prime minister.
Karki’s appointment followed two days of urgent negotiations between the president, army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel and leaders of the anti-corruption movement that mobilised thousands of young protesters under the “Gen Z” banner. The protests, triggered by a controversial social media ban, spiraled into Nepal’s worst political violence in years, leaving at least 51 people dead and more than 1,300 injured.
India, Nepal’s southern neighbour and key partner, welcomed the appointment. “Heartfelt congratulations to the Honorable Sushila Karki Ji on assuming the office of Prime Minister of Nepal’s interim government. India is fully committed to the peace, progress, and prosperity of Nepal’s brothers and sisters,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X.
I extend my best wishes to Right Hon. Mrs. Sushila Karki on assuming office as the Prime Minister of the Interim Government of Nepal. India remains firmly committed to the peace, progress and prosperity of the people of Nepal.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 13, 2025
The violence subsided only after Oli stepped down on Tuesday, clearing the way for Karki’s caretaker government to oversee elections. Authorities have since lifted the social media ban, and by Friday, signs of normalcy had begun to return: shops reopened, vehicles reappeared on Kathmandu’s streets, and security forces swapped rifles for batons while maintaining a heavy presence.
Over 13,500 prisoners escape jails during Nepal protests
Nepal, a nation of 30 million nestled between India and China, has struggled with political and economic instability since abolishing its monarchy in 2008. Frequent changes in leadership and weak governance have fueled public frustration, while limited opportunities at home continue to drive millions of Nepali workers abroad to the Middle East, South Korea and Malaysia.
Karki’s interim government faces the immediate challenge of restoring stability and preparing for elections, amid hopes that the country can turn the page on one of its most turbulent weeks in recent memory.