The Gen Z uprising ousted the government led by major political forces in early September as youths rose up against corruption, bad governance and nepotism—issues they saw as entrenched in the Nepali political system.

A new government led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was formed on September 12 on the foundation laid by the Gen Z movement. Prime Minister Karki and most of the ministers in her Cabinet were chosen mainly for their clean image.

Yet, less than three months after its formation, the Karki administration too has become embroiled in the kind of controversies that dogged earlier governments.

Previously criticised over ministerial selection, the Karki administration has now courted controversy over appointments to the prime minister’s secretariat and other advisory positions.

In the latest case, the prime minister’s own chief personal secretary appointed his wife to a position within the prime minister’s secretariat.

On September 18, Adarsha Kumar Shrestha, the chief personal secretary to Prime Minister Karki, appointed his wife, Sangita Shrestha, to the secretariat in a role equal to a joint secretary of the government.

One reason for the Gen Z movement was the distribution of state benefits based more on personal connections than merit.

After the latest controversy, the Nepal Gen Z Front, a grouping of Gen Z activists, has demanded the immediate dismissal of Shrestha, the prime minister’s chief personal secretary.

In a statement, the front said personal appointments in such a sensitive office represent an abuse of position and a direct attack on good governance, ethics, accountability and transparency. The group expressed serious concern over nepotism and cronyism within the prime minister’s secretariat.

Political analyst CK Lal sarcastically described the appointments as ‘arbitrary’.

“It was expected that the government formed in an arbitrary manner without following any constitutional procedure would work in an arbitrary way,” Lal told the Post.

But the PMO has defended the appointment. On Monday, the prime minister’s press coordinator, Ram Rawal, issued a statement rejecting the allegations, saying the prime minister needed someone trustworthy who could work with her closely, day and night.

“Established on the strength of the Gen Z movement, the honourable prime minister has consistently acted with responsibility and sensitivity in matters of austerity, transparency, and accountability,” the statement read. “With the aim of placing the least possible burden on the state treasury and ensuring efficient operations, the prime minister’s secretariat has been functioning with a significantly small number of personnel,” the statement added.

“In her family, the prime minister has only her husband at present [in the country], and owing to their advanced age, she has selected a reliable person who can provide timely support.”

The secretariat requested not to make any ‘unwarranted interpretations’ of the appointments, arguing that the appointee must be stationed at the prime minister’s residence, work closely with her, and remain on duty round-the-clock if needed.

“It is also requested not to make baseless accusations or forcibly portray other appointees as relatives merely because some share a surname or ethnic background with the chief personal secretary.”

Gen Z representatives have accused the government of diverting from its agenda of good governance.

“We submitted a draft agreement to the government a few days ago and the deadline for their response will end tomorrow [Tuesday],” said Amit Khanal ‘Urja’, a representative of the Gen Z alliance.

“As the government remains silent on our demand, its representatives are involved in appointing relatives to important positions—which is not a good sign.”

The Prime Minister’s Office has defended Prime Minister Karki’s personal adviser, Shrestha, and his appointment of his wife, but remains silent on the controversy surrounding Sabita Bhandari, whom the prime minister appointed as Attorney General and who also serves as her official legal advisor.

Attorney General Bhandari courted controversy following her decision not to prosecute the private company Hope Fertility and Diagnostic Pvt Ltd, which had been accused of extracting eggs from 16–17-year-old girls without their guardians’ consent and selling them.

Bhandari has been accused of a conflict of interest, as she was a shareholder in the company, and she dropped the case despite this direct clash of interests.

Following these allegations, on November 14, the Office of the Attorney General issued a statement denying any involvement of the Attorney General in the alleged extraction and sale of minors’ eggs.

The statement claimed that, as the Attorney General is not permitted to take decisions in such cases, the responsibility had been delegated to the Deputy Attorney General, who, based on the case file and available evidence, decided on October 17 not to proceed with prosecution.

The controversies surrounding the non-political citizen government do not end here. Kulman Ghising, who serves as minister for energy and also looks after two other ministries, has overseen the formation of the Ujyalo Nepal Party.

The party has already registered with the Election Commission to take part in the March 5 elections, and its members have said Ghising will resign from his ministerial post before the election code of conduct, set to take effect ahead of the elections, comes into force.

People from various walks of life have criticised Ghising on moral grounds for remaining in the Cabinet despite his party affiliation. Even the prime minister’s chief advisor, Ajaya Bhadra Khanal, acknowledged that having a minister associated with a political party in the citizen government does indeed raise ethical concerns. The government, however, has not taken any corrective measures.