Representatives of the Gen Z movement have turned down an invitation from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers for talks on constitution amendment, saying they will not engage in dialogue until a previous agreement with the government is fully implemented.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, 25 activists said they support the need to revise the constitution in line with changing times, but stressed that the state must first demonstrate accountability over past commitments and agreements.

They raised concerns over the 10-point agreement signed with the government on December 10 last year, saying its implementation remains uncertain.

The group also demanded the formation of a high-level advisory commission for constitutional reform, instead of what they termed a “handpicked system”. They proposed that the commission include independent experts, youth representatives and stakeholders associated with the movement.

A task force formed by the government to prepare a discussion paper on constitutional amendment had invited Gen Z representatives for talks. The Cabinet, on March 30, formed the panel under the coordination of Asim Shah, the chief political adviser to the prime minister.

According to the statement, any constitutional amendment process should be preceded by broad consultations and discussions at local, provincial and federal levels.

“We are ready to provide suggestions, but a transparent and inclusive process must be ensured. Until the agreement is fully implemented and cases against protesters are withdrawn, dialogue has no relevance,” the statement said.

The joint statement was signed by Amrita Bant, Amit Khanal ‘Urja’, Arnav Chaudhary, Arun Singh Nepali, Ayush Baryal, Uparjun Chamling, Kamal Magar, Tanuja Pandey, Prashant Lamichhane, Prajwal Bikram Rana, Pema Wangmo Lama, Majid Ansari, Monika Chaudhary, Monika Niraula, Yatish Ojha, Yadav Aryal, Raksha Bam, Rijan Rana Magar, Ruksana Kapali, Laxmi Ghimire, Bilby Neupane, Sarisma Thapa, Sain Rai and Sudeep Seth.