Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah Urges Calm Amid Push for Interim Government in Nepal

Kathmandu, Sept 2025 : Kathmandu Mayor and rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah has appealed for calm and patience as Nepal navigates an uncertain political transition toward an interim government-led system.

In a social media post addressed particularly to Generation Z and the broader Nepali public, Shah acknowledged that the country was entering an unprecedented phase in its democratic journey. He voiced support for the creation of a caretaker administration to oversee fresh elections, urging young political activists to remain patient and united.

Shah endorsed the proposal to appoint former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the head of the interim government, describing her selection as a “mature and thoughtful choice by the youth.” Praising the political awareness of young protesters, he wrote, “Your awareness, judgment, and unity deserve deep respect.”

At the same time, Shah cautioned aspiring young leaders against rushing into temporary positions of power. “Elections will happen. Please don’t be in a hurry,” he urged, stressing that their energy and vision should be directed toward building long-term systemic change rather than occupying transitional roles.

In a direct appeal to Nepal’s President, Shah called for the immediate dissolution of Parliament and the formal establishment of an interim government, saying such a step was necessary to safeguard what he described as a “historic revolution” led by Gen Z protesters.

Divisions Among Gen-Z Leaders

Shah’s appeal came as Nepal’s youth-led movement struggled to build consensus over who should lead the interim government. By Wednesday evening, Gen-Z leaders remained divided on the issue ahead of a key meeting with the top leadership of the Nepal Army, which has assumed responsibility for law and order following Tuesday’s widespread unrest in Kathmandu.

The army has invited protest leaders for dialogue after Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli stepped down from office amid massive Gen-Z protests demanding his resignation. Discussions among activists have continued, but no consensus has emerged on an apolitical figure to head the new administration.

Rabi Kiran Hamal, one of the Gen-Z leaders engaged in negotiations, told IANS that names such as former Nepal Electricity Authority chief Kul Man Ghising and Dharan Mayor Harka Sampang had been considered. However, Hamal, who is alleged to have ties with the royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party, said he personally favored a Gen-Z representative at the helm.

Profile of Sushila Karki

Among the names under discussion, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, 73, has attracted strong support. Appointed in April 2016, she became Nepal’s first woman Chief Justice and retired in June 2017. Her tenure was not without controversy: she was briefly suspended in April 2017 after lawmakers from the Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Centre) filed an impeachment motion against her, accusing her of bias. Despite the setback, Karki is remembered as a strong-willed figure who played a key role in removing the powerful chief of the anti-corruption body on eligibility grounds. Many activists see her as an experienced and independent candidate suited to guiding the country through its current crisis.

Political Parties Call for Constitutional Process

Meanwhile, mainstream political parties have stressed that any decisions taken during this extraordinary period must adhere to constitutional norms. In a joint statement on Wednesday, Nepali Congress General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishow Prakash Sharma said that measures taken under the “doctrine of necessity” should still move forward within a legal and constitutional framework.

Law-and-Order Challenges

The political turmoil has also triggered a major law-and-order crisis. Nepal Police confirmed on Wednesday that more than 13,500 inmates escaped from prisons across the country during the protests on Tuesday and Wednesday. In addition, over 500 detainees held for criminal investigations also managed to flee.

“While the law-and-order situation was largely stable on Wednesday across the country, major incidents were concentrated in Kathmandu Valley,” said Nepal Police Spokesperson DIG Binod Ghimire.

Despite temporary calm returning to the streets, Nepal remains in flux. The coming days, particularly the outcome of talks between Gen-Z leaders and the Nepal Army, are expected to determine the trajectory of the country’s political transition.