Hectic negotiations at Nepali Army headquarters to form a new interim government as per the demands of Gen Z youths, dragged on through Thursday night without a breakthrough.

Speculation swirled in Kathmandu on Thursday night that the Nepali Army might take a hard measure to manage the ongoing political impasse.

The formation of a new interim government is becoming complicated after old political parties like the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Centre), Rastriya Swatantra Party and others demanded that it be formed within the parameters of the constitution and without dissolution of the House of Representatives.

However, the majority of Gen Z leaders along with Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and others have demanded the dissolution of the house before the formation of the new government.

But Gen Z, which has emerged as a decisive force, has stood against scrapping the constitution at this moment.

“We want modifications in the constitution,” Sudan Gurung, one of the Gen Z leaders and head of humanitarian organisation Hami Nepali said during a press conference on Thursday. “We are not in favour of dissolution of the constitution.”

Sources told the Post that Chief of Army Staff General Ashok Sigdel continued talks with former chief justice Sushila Karki, whose name was forwarded by Gen Z team on Wednesday as the proposed prime minister for the interim government and Durga Prasai, a controversial medical operator who has been separately campaigning for the restoration of Hindu state and monarchy.

General Sigdel also held consultations with senior leaders of major political parties.

“Discussion is going on with parties to shorten this [transition] period, also we're also trying to maintain law and order,” Nepali Army Spokesperson Brigadier General Raja Ram Basnet told the Post.

Later Army Chief Sigdel also held talks with President Ramchandra Paudel. Paudel’s legal adviser Baburam Kuwar and others were also consulted on the government formation, said a source close to the President.

On the question of the new prime minister, almost all major political parties have agreed to support the candidate forwarded by Gen Z, but they have stressed that the appointment should be constitutional. Some have raised the issue of whether Karki, the former chief justice, can be the new prime minister within the framework of the existing constitution.

A pair of Nepali Congress and CPN-UML leaders told the Post that they have already communicated to Nepal Army headquarters to follow the constitutional path while forming the new interim government and urged it not to bypass the political forces.

“Bypassing the legitimate political forces, who are still part of the current system and constitutional framework, would send a very wrong message to the international community,” they said. “We have also reminded the army headquarters about it. We need huge international support for rebuilding infrastructure destroyed on Monday and Tuesday during violent protests carried by disgruntled youths, and bypassing the legitimate forces would affect our ability to get international support.”