Legitimising The Gen Z Movement

Nepal’s Gen Z movement that brought a seismic shift in the political discourse is now facing a legitimacy crisis as the political parties – some of them are trying to vilify it – are making a roaring comeback after being pushed into the background for a while. It has been a historic trend that movements provide validity to their organisers. Nepal’s major and minor political parties instituionalised the achievements of their revolution by unveiling new constitutions. Then, they participated in the elections and formed the governments, enabling them to gain acceptance and take root in the society.  This is how the party politics and democratic process have evolved in Nepal since the advent multiparty system in 1951.

But the Gen Z movement, which was a spontaneous outburst against entrenched corruption and dysfunctional governance, did not have centralised command and clear leadership, unlike the parties. Unorganised and scattered, the Gen Z youths have now woken to a reality that they need recognition from the state lest they risk being rendered irrelevant. Though their revolt led to the collapse of the then government and the House of Representatives (HoR), they are now not in a position to rewrite the constitution to legitimise their gains. 

Desperate attempts 

Bearing this fact in mind, the Gen Zers are now making a desperate attempt to enter into an agreement with the present government formed on the strength of their uprising.  Prime Minister Sushila Karki is also ready to ink a deal with the Gen Z youths to institutionalise their revolt and address their demands. The Gen Z Movement Alliance, Council of Gen Z, coordinators of seven provinces and Gen Z Front submitted their joint proposal to the PM some three weeks ago. However, the inordinate delay in forging a consensus has pestered both sides. Prime Minister Karki has instructed her team and top officials to reach an agreement with the Gen Zers by Monday (tomorrow). 

 PM Karki’s willingness to legitimise the Gen Z movement has rekindled the hope of the Gen Zers, who have failed to put up a united stand for their common cause. The legal and political acceptance will provide them with a credible space in Nepali society. Karki’s credibility as the head of the government will also be enhanced in view of growing criticisms that her administration has not paid heed to the genuine demands of Gen Z youths. The major political parties, especially the UML, see Gen Zers as their nemesis and are hell-bent on maligning them. The UML stalwarts, especially the establishment faction under its chair KP Sharma Oli dismiss the Gen Z movement as a regression, alleging that it was sponsored by the foreign power centres. 

The recent skirmishes between the Gen Z youths and the UML cadres in Simara of Bara district and Dhangadhi show their increased hostility, posing a possible security threat to the upcoming general polls in March next year. UML leaders, especially Mahesh Basnet’s provocative and slanderous remarks against the Gen Z youths, are attributed to the street tussles and violence involving both sides. After being knocked off his pedestal, former PM Oli has been venting venom against the present government and the Gen Z youths. 

Oli, who has been under investigation for the killing of youths and destruction of public and private properties on September 8 and 9, has also been prevented from leaving the Kathmandu Valley without permission from the government. The travel ban has further shrunk his political maneuvering as his party is bracing for the general convention in weeks. This is a reason why he announced street protests in a faint hope of restoring the parliament, forming a new government and thwarting the election. 

 Unlike the UML, the Nepali Congress and the newly formed Nepali Communist Party (NCP) have demonstrated their soft hearts for the Gen Z youths. They have recognised the Gen Z’s anti-corruption crusade and ire against a ban on social media while condemning the killing of youths and destruction of government buildings and private properties. The Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda-led NCP has even expressed a desire to work with the Gen Z youths, stating that both have raised the same agenda, and promised to give greater space to the Gen Z in the party created with the unification of around 15 small left parties.

Meanwhile, Gen Z groups, in their draft proposal, have demanded that the government declare protesters and commoners killed in brutal police crackdown during the movement martyrs and bring those involved in the murder and human violations to book through a fast, impartial and effective investigation. As per their document, all cases of corruption and abuse of authority will be impartially investigated and the guilty will be punished. To end the partocracy in public enterprises, a task force involving Gen Zers and youths will proceed with the law amendment process. The proposed agreement paper seeks to nationalise all institutions, trusts and centres operated under the names of party leaders using the public land, properties and funds. 

The Gen Zers want to ensure the access of people to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) so that the anti-graft body will receive complaints directly from them, and have suggested introducing a provision for it to conclude its primary investigation into the corruption cases and make them public within 30 days. The Gen Zers have called for guaranteeing the voting rights of Nepalis living abroad and transparency in the expenditures of the political parties and nationalising properties that lack sources and preventing the alleged individuals from participating in the polls. 

To make a timely revision to the constitution, the draft has envisaged a high-level constitution amendment recommendation task force, including the representatives of Gen Z. To implement the agreement, a monitoring committee of the representatives from the government, Gen Z and eminent citizens has been proposed.  The President has been asked to be a witness to the agreement signed by the Prime Minister and the Gen Z leaders. The Gen Zers’ demands can be addressed through the statute amendment. The present government requires fulfilling the aspirations of the Gen Z movement that has pushed for restructuring of parties and broader reforms for the governance system.

(The author is Deputy Executive Editor of this daily.)