A division has emerged among the Gen-Z protesters over putting forth the name of former chief justice Sushila Karki as a candidate for the post of interim government head.

Hours after a majority of Gen-Z supporters voted for her to be recommended as the prime minister of an interim government in the making, some protesting youths objected to the decision and demonstrated in front of the Nepali Army headquarters on Wednesday evening.

Those opposing Karki for the governing role said she should not be the prime minister, in a reversal of their overwhelming support for her just two hours ago. They demanded that the chief of such an interim government should be the mayor of Kathmandu, Balendra Shah or Harka Sampang, the Mayor of Dharan Sub-metropolitan City.

In the absence of a unanimous leader, the Gen-Z was discussing several alternatives and the entire process of government formation has thus been delayed. The new Gen-Z leader will represent the group while negotiating with President Ramchandra Paudel and the Nepali Army.

Karki was chosen because of her long experience in the judiciary, and is believed to be able to lead the country as per the rule of law.

When Balen was approached by the Gen-Z campaigners on Wednesday, he did not respond to their calls, a protest leader told the Post. When the campaigners proposed Karki’s name, Shah had also extended his support to her. But when some Gen-Z representatives contested Karki’s name, a Nepal Army officer asked the representatives to come back on Thursday morning with the name and phone number of each leader who is interested to hold interaction with the army leadership.

Karki had also reportedly expressed her intent to lead the next government if Gen Z officially recognised her as their representative. “If over 1,000 youths give me their support in writing, I will lead the group,” Karki is learnt to have told the Gen-Z leaders. She was given the signatures of over 2,500 Gen-Z individuals.

In the voting at Discord, an Internet discussion platform, of the 7,711 votes, Karki had received 3,832. Rastra Bimochan Timilsina, who is known as “Randomguy” among the Gen-Z, received the second highest votes after Karki. Timilsina got 2,021 votes, followed by Sagar Dhakal at 1,098, Harka Sampang 487 and Mahabir Pun 273.

After meeting CoAS Sigdel at the army headquarters, Sampang clearly stated that he did not support Karki.

There is also a constitutional question over whether she can be the prime minister. As per Article 132 of the constitution, no chief justice or judge of the Supreme Court can be engaged in or deputed to any office other than that of judge.

No person who has once held the office of chief justice or a

judge of the Supreme Court shall be eligible for appointment to any

government office, except as otherwise provided in this constitution, reads the Article.

A political aspirant, mechanical engineer Dhakal has a degree from Oxford University and contested last elections against Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, losing with a small margin. Sampang is the mayor of Dharan Sub-metropolitan City and Mahabir Pun is a Nepali researcher and teacher who runs the Rastriya Aviskar Kendra, an innovation centre.

Balen Shah, who was seen as the the top candidate for the post of prime minister, did not respond to the calls by the Gen-Z leaders to lead a new administration.

After the deaths of over two dozen people, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned from the post on Monday.

Amid a fierce attack launched by an angry mob on Monday, where the houses of several Nepali Congress and CPN-UML leaders were attacked, the prime minister and some members of his Cabinet were airlifted by the Nepali Army and have since been kept at a secret location. The whereabouts of the prime minister and other ministers remain unknown. Even President Poudel is strictly guarded by the army.

In order to fill the void, the army took a lead and asked Gen-Z representatives to settle their confidante so as to proceed with talks with the President to appoint a new head of government. Mayor Shah had also urged the Gen-Z protesters to hold talks with the army to chart a new political course.

The army headquarters and some Gen-Z leaders held a series of talks on Tuesday and Wednesday but could not reach any conclusion. Due to the Army placing various conditions and offering suggestions during formal/informal discussions—along with their emphasis that there must be a common stance and representative from all groups—the Gen-Z group is wracked with further confusion.

Some Gen-Z representatives are now suspicious that attempts are being made to mislead them.

“We need a mature individual to save the country during our moment of confusion,” says a participant of the movement and in the current discussions. “We are not in favour of handing over state responsibility to the army chief or of any foreign intervention."

Another crack appeared in the Gen-Z group after army chief General Ashokraj Sigdel asked some youth leaders to hold talks with the Rastriya Swatantra Party and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Durga Prasai, a controversial medical business operator who has been actively seeking the restoration of Hindu state and monarchy in Nepal.

But during their internal discussion in Discord, many Gen-Z participants had expressed their disagreement to the idea of recommending Prasai. Most Gen-Z participants had said Prasai had no stake in their protest.

Later in the evening, Sampang also met General Sigdel. Prasai also held talks with the army chief on Wednesday afternoon. “Not interested in leading,” he said. “However, giving a political outlet to the nation is my foremost priority. Be it Balen or Sushila, I am fine,” said Prasai.

“When the army chief asked us to talk with Prasai and the Rastriya Swatantra Party because they are also stakeholders in the agitation, we rejected it because it will ultimately undermine our sacrifice and revolutionary changes that we want,” Raksha Bam, a Gen-Z representative, wrote on Facebook after meeting with General Sigdel. “Then we came out of the Nepal Army headquarters.” The Gen-Z representatives were invited to meet and hold talks with President Paudel.

“We were neither in talks yesterday, nor are we today. Even yesterday, we did not go to meet the army chief with any demands. Our clear statement yesterday was this—we need time to prepare our demands,” writes Bam.

Representatives of all Gen-Z protesters hailing from all 77 districts will work on a single joint document, she adds. “We will come together in one place to present our demands, reach out to everyone, and within a few days, we will present ourselves—along with the collective demands representing all—to the President and the army chief. Only with this agreement did we step out. Our main stance was that the future direction of the state should be determined by Gen-Z,” she writes.

It’s well known that the Gen-Z movement has no single leader, she further said; it has been led by various groups. “Therefore, I am completely unaware of the opinions or positions of the Gen-Z friends currently in talks,” Bam added.

As the army assumed command of security and the situation began moving toward normalcy, Gen-Z groups—who had made corruption and good governance their main issues—have started putting themselves into two polar camps.

One faction advocates for an active role for the army and a return of monarchy, while the other insists on a youth-led new team, but within the framework of a democratic system.

“At a time when there is a leadership vacuum, leadership should not fall into the hands of an immature individual,” Bam states.

In the course of discussions, one Gen-Z group proposed that an independent and strong body against corruption be established. They also proposed that, within the next 90 days, elections be held under Article 76(7) of the Constitution in a way that prevents business donations, and sets strict campaign spending limits.

Additionally, several proposals were made, including provisions related to financial and other forms of decentralisation, strict qualification criteria for ministers and high-level government positions, constitutional reforms for a permanent government, and digitisation of all public services.

Kathmandu Mayor Shah, in a social media post on Wednesday night, said the country currently has an unprecedented opportunity. “You are now stepping toward a golden future,” he addressed the Gen-Z. “At this time, please do not panic—stay calm and be patient.”

“The country is now heading towards an interim government. The task of this interim government is to hold elections and give the country a new public mandate.”

On the proposal that former Chief Justice Sushila Karki lead this interim/election government, “I fully support it. I sincerely respect your wisdom, insight, and unity,” Shah wrote.

“This shows just how mature you truly are. To the friends who are currently eager to come into leadership positions’ I want to say this: your passion, your vision, your integrity—these are things the country needs permanently, not temporarily. For that, there will be elections. Please, do not rush.”

Shah has also made a separate request to President Paudel.

“Respected President,” said Shah, “to preserve the historic revolution brought forth by Gen Z, I urge you to promptly dissolve Parliament and form an interim government.”