Nepal PM holds first talks since protests with parties and 'Gen Z'

Newly-elected Prime Minister of Nepal’s interim government Sushila Karki (C) arrives at the National Trauma Center hospital to visit victims injured in clashes with security personnel, in Kathmandu on September 13, 2025. [AFP]

Nepal's interim leader has held the first talks between political parties and youth representatives since last month's deadly anti-corruption protests that toppled the previous government, officials said on Thursday.

"We have succeeded in creating an environment of cooperation and trust by ending the state of lack of dialogue," Prime Minister Sushila Karki, the former chief justice appointed as interim leader, said in a statement on social media.

The unrest on September 8-9 was triggered by a brief ban on social media, although it was fuelled by long-standing frustration over economic hardship and corruption.

At least 73 people were killed during the two days of unrest, which left parliament, courts and government buildings in flames.

Karki, 73, who will lead the Himalayan nation until elections, held a four-hour meeting with youth representatives on Wednesday, according to her media coordinator Ram Rawal.

The challenges ahead to ensure the March 2026 elections pass off smoothly are huge -- including deep public distrust in Nepal's established parties.

The meeting, headed by Karki, was attended by all major political parties and several "Gen Z" representatives, Rawal said.

Also included were representatives of the party of ousted former prime minister KP Sharma Oli, the Communist Party of Nepal - Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML).

"After the protest, there was a trust gap between them," Rawal told AFP. "This meeting has helped create an environment of trust for the upcoming elections."

Karki said in a post on X that "the new generation, political parties and the government all have the same goal -- to hold fair, secure and timely elections".

She has pledged to restore order and address calls for clean governance in the country of 30 million.

Minister for Communication Jagadish Kharel told reporters after the meeting that it was "important and fruitful".

The unrest in September hit Nepal's already fragile economy. The World Bank estimates a "staggering" 82 percent of the workforce is in informal employment, while GDP per capita stood at just $1,447 in 2024.