Nepal's Political Crisis Deepens as Major Parties Demand Reinstatement of Dissolved Parliament

Tue Oct 21 2025 14:34:14 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In the wake of widespread protests against corruption, Nepal's major political parties are calling for the reinstatement of parliament, following its dissolution by President Ram Chandra Poudel after deadly clashes.

Following violent anti-corruption protests resulting in over 50 deaths, major political parties in Nepal have urged President Poudel to reinstate the dissolved parliament. The call comes amid escalating demands from a newly appointed interim government led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki, who is tasked with restoring order and addressing the protesters' calls for change. The political turmoil is compounded by a recent ban on social media platforms that sparked initial unrest.

Nepal's major political parties have demanded the country's President Ram Chandra Poudel reinstates the parliament he dissolved following deadly anti-corruption protests.

In a statement, eight parties - including the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and Maoist Centre, expressed that the president acted unconstitutionally.

Poudel dissolved the House of Representatives on Friday upon the recommendation of newly-appointed interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki - it was also a key demand from the protest movement.

More than 50 people were killed in clashes with riot police during this week's mass protests, sparked by a ban on social media platforms. Karki was appointed after a deal was reached with protest leaders.

The ban was lifted on Monday, but by then the protests had escalated into a mass movement. Angry crowds set fire to parliament and government buildings in the capital Kathmandu on Tuesday, forcing then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign.

Saturday's statement demanding the reinstatement of parliament was signed by the chief whips of the eight political parties. They argued that the step taken by the president was unconstitutional and against precedents set by Nepal's judiciary.

The dissolution of the parliament was a major demand by student leaders from the so-called Gen Z protest movement. However, the eight parties argue that the protesters' demands, including new elections announced for March 5 next year, should be addressed through an institution voted by the people.

President Poudel has yet to respond publicly to the political parties' statement. Karki, a 73-year-old former Supreme Court chief justice and the first woman to lead the impoverished Himalayan nation, was sworn in during a brief ceremony in Kathmandu and is expected to appoint ministers to her cabinet within days.

Her leadership is seen as a potential opportunity for change, especially given her clean image, but her cabinet will face challenges such as restoring law and order, rebuilding the parliament, and addressing the demands of the Gen Z protesters who seek significant reform.

Nepal is slowly returning to normalcy after the worst unrest in decades, with soldiers who had patrolled Kathmandu streets returning to their bases after Karki's oath of office.

The protests initially triggered by the government's decision to ban 26 social media platforms reflected broader discontent with the political elite, further exacerbated by perceptions of corruption within the government.