By Our Reporter
Nepal’s political order has been shaken by the Gen Z uprising, and for good reason. The anger on the streets was not just about unemployment or police violence, it was a rejection of the same faces running the country for decades with little to show for it. The Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and CPN-Maoist Centre have treated politics like a personal club. If they want to survive the next election, they must do what they have resisted for years: replace their top leadership and bring in a new generation.
Nepali Congress: Deuba Must Step Aside
The Nepali Congress likes to call itself the guardian of democracy, but under Sher Bahadur Deuba, it has become the party of status quo. Deuba has led government after government yet failed to deliver reform or curb corruption. His grip on the party blocks younger leaders from stepping forward. If the NC wants to stay relevant, Deuba must go. The party needs a younger face with a clear plan for jobs, education, and governance reform. Without that shift, NC risks being reduced to a nostalgia project rather than a force for the future.
CPN-UML: Time after Oli
The UML has been reduced to a one-man show under KP Sharma Oli. His arrogance during the protests, refusal to listen, and chaotic governance pushed the country to crisis. Oli should step aside. UML needs collective leadership, not a cult of personality. Younger leaders within the party, many of whom are capable and more attuned to public mood, must take control and rebuild trust. If UML sticks with Oli, it may lose its position as Nepal’s largest party and open space for new forces to rise.
Maoist Centre: Prachanda’s final act
The Maoists face a deeper crisis. Prachanda has turned what was once a revolutionary movement into a power-bargaining outfit. The party has lost its ideological edge and its base. Prachanda stepping down would be a start, allowing younger leaders to rebuild the party around issues that matter – inequality, jobs, and rural development. If he clings to power, the Maoists may become irrelevant, remembered only for their role in ending the monarchy, not for shaping Nepal’s future.
The demand from the streets is clear: the old guard must go. Nepal cannot afford another cycle of recycled leaders swapping chairs while the economy stagnates and young people leave the country. Change will not come from half-measures or token youth appointments. It requires real succession and a shift in how these parties think about power.
Nepal’s big three parties still have time to act, but not much. If they fail to bring new leaders to the front, the next election will punish them – and it should.
Login to add a comment