Resignation Kit: How Mass Protests deprived Nepal of All Leadership

A political catastrophe has unfolded in Nepal. President Ramchandra Paudel, Prime Minister Sharma Oli and part of the Cabinet resigned amid mass protests. The protesters stormed the private residence of the prime minister and set fire to the parliament building. In addition, the demonstrators attacked the former prime minister and his wife, the current foreign minister, and beat up the finance minister. The army is forced to evacuate politicians by helicopter directly from the government quarter. In total, 19 people were killed and hundreds injured in clashes with security forces. There are no Russians among them, the embassy told Izvestia. The reason for the riots was the blocking of social networks by the authorities, but the real reasons are the economic crisis and corruption, experts say. How the situation in Nepal will unfold is in the Izvestia article.

Clashes in Nepal: latest news

In Nepal, one of the most closed and distinctive countries, a political crisis suddenly broke out. On September 8, after the authorities decided to block a number of Western social networks, the protests turned into almost a civil riot. At least 19 people were killed and over 100 injured in clashes with security forces. According to the Himalayan Times, the number of victims during the mass protests in Nepal has already been estimated at more than 500 people. And this is despite the fact that a curfew has been imposed in Kathmandu. Against this background, on September 9, the authorities finally canceled the decision to block and returned access. However, the protests have already triggered a chain reaction.

Prime Minister Sharma Oli— a venerable politician who held this post three times, has resigned. Initially, he called for resolving the situation through dialogue, but the protesters began storming and setting fire to government buildings, including the parliament and the private residence of Oli.

As a result, he decided to leave in order to "pave the way for a constitutional solution to the crisis." A number of ministers also resigned, and President Ramchandra Paudel later announced her resignation, while inviting the protesters to talks next week. According to India Today, they have already stated that the country has come under their control, calling for the formation of a new government and holding elections.

Videos have spread on social media of the army evacuating ministers by helicopter directly from their apartments in the government quarter. However, some did not manage to get out. Footage has appeared online of protesters beating Finance Minister Bishna Paudel in the street. Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife Arzu Rana Deuba, who is also the head of the Foreign Ministry, were also attacked right at the residence. Nepal News claims that the ex-prime minister's wife died after arson. At least, footage of the ex-prime minister covered in blood has spread on social media.

Amid the protests, traffic in the city is virtually paralyzed. Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal's main air harbor, was closed due to smoke from fires. Flights scheduled there have been diverted to other countries. The situation of Russian tourists in Nepal is of concern. In particular, on September 8, the Russian Embassy reported that the children of Russian compatriots who study at local schools cannot get home.

"For your safety, we strongly ask you to refrain from going out on the streets until the Nepalese authorities are notified separately," the Russian Embassy issued such an official notification. Due to the difficult logistics, the Nepal Tourism Board, together with the Tourist Police, is launching free shuttle buses for foreign passengers on international and domestic flights. Buses will run from the airport to the main hotels in Kathmandu and back. At the moment, there are no victims of the riots among Russian citizens, the embassy told Izvestia. At the same time, there is no accurate information about the condition of Russian tourists in the set-on-fire Hilton hotel.

The Russian Union of Travel Industry said it was also closely monitoring the development of the situation in Nepal. Some agencies have suspended the sale of tours. According to Maya Kotlyar, the owner of MAYEL Travel, Nepal is a rather difficult destination for tourism, since historically and for a long time there has been a "hidden martial law" in the country.

"We always warn tourists: everything is like a powder keg — it can flare up at any moment. Therefore, sometimes our clients, when they move from city to city, are accompanied by guides from Nepal itself. We are not organizing this, but the local authorities," Kotlyar said.

Izvestia managed to contact several Russian tourists who are either in Nepal or have left it. Some of them are in Kathmandu. "The ambulances are working. The police are shooting. Everything is in its place. The shops are closed. Therefore, we have to go home to the owners," said one of the Russians. All the interlocutors described the situation on the streets, far from the protests, as safe for tourists. One of them even told about a local joke: in Nepal, tourists and cows are considered sacred animals.

The real causes of the protests in Nepal

Initially, the protest actions were called the "Generation Z Revolution" — the blocking of social networks, first of all, of course, worried Nepali youth. Facebook Instagram, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, LinkedIn, as well as WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram (the last three belong to the Meta corporation, recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) were banned on September 5.

Social media has not only become the most important communication tool for Nepal today. Many citizens work abroad and send money home. However, the blocking is just a reason for mass unrest. The protesters are dissatisfied with the economic situation in the country and the level of corruption. Therefore, experts practically exclude the factor of external interference.

— Social networks are a popular business tool and an uncensored space. This is largely a grassroots social protest, which is due to the massive nature of the ban. However, a combination of urgent common problems led to large—scale protests, including corruption and the monopoly of the two parties," Denis Korablin, senior researcher at the Department of Comparative Cultural Studies at the Institute of International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, tells Izvestia.

Many Nepalis are unhappy that the government is very reluctant to investigate high-profile corruption cases, calling for greater "accountability and transparency." The disturbances are also related to structural problems in Nepali society. A fairly strict caste system remains in place here, although official discrimination based on caste is prohibited, says Elsa Shirgazina, a junior researcher at the E.M.Primakov IMEMO Center for the Indian Ocean Region of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

— In fact, this is a problem of the lack of any positive changes in the economy and politics. The economy has been stagnating for years, to put it mildly. Governments are changing, but the situation remains the same, despite pre—election statements and policy documents of political parties," she told Izvestia.

In fact, the overthrown government of Nepal was formed by a coalition of two main political forces.: The Communist (United Marxist-Leninist) Party, to which Oli belongs, and the Social Democratic Nepali Congress, with the participation of two other parties.

— There is an opposition in Nepal, but it is so diverse and uncooperative that it is unlikely to be able to organize any alternative wing. Although she won more parliamentary seats than expected in the last elections. In addition, as a result of all this discord, the opposition force will need to do something about all these victims," says Elsa Shirgazina.

Of course, there is coordination within the protesters, but who can benefit from it, only further developments will show, the expert concluded.