The third day of GenZ movement was quiet as the Nepali Army guarded the streets across the country on Wednesday and ordered people to stay at home as they moved to restore order after tens of thousands of protesters stormed and set fire to government buildings. As of Wednesday, at least 30 people have died during the protest.

The Army has also started meeting with various groups in search of a leader of an interim government. However, Gen Z representatives, who went to the Army headquarters to present their demands, appear divided. Some asked for former chief justice Sushila Karki to lead the interim government while others suggested the names of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah and Dharan Submetropolitan City Mayor Harka Sampang. There were also those who asked to seek the path within the framework of the 2015 Constitution.

According to sources, one faction argued that federalism and secularism should be scrapped and the monarchy restored. The other insisted the movement was not against the republican system itself but against the way political leaders were handling governance.

Rakshya Bam, one of the participants who walked out of the meeting, said she and some colleagues left after discussions began moving “against the core spirit of the movement.” After the Chief of the Army Staff Ashok Raj Sigdel suggested that we meet the President Ramchandra Paudel along with Durga Prasai and the Rastriya Swatantra Party group, calling them stakeholders, we rejected the proposal, she wrote on Facebook. “Accepting it would undermine the sacrifices made and the transformative journey of the Gen Z movement. Therefore, we walked out of the Nepali Army headquarters and are now preparing to hold discussions with the protesting GenZ groups.”

When the group of over 15 GenZ representatives arrived on Wednesday, Army Chief Sigdel initially asked them to first reach a consensus among themselves, suggesting they appoint a coordinator before engaging in talks. The group then held an internal discussion inside a hall at the headquarters, where clear divisions emerged.

On Tuesday, Kathmandu Mayor Shah urged GenZ to be ready to negotiate with the Army only if the parliament is dissolved first. “Now it is your generation’s turn to lead the country,” he said. Following this, the President’s Office issued a statement calling on Gen Z groups to join talks.

Multiple groups have since contacted both the President’s Office and the Army, each claiming to represent GenZ. This has added to the confusion within the Gen Z movement participants. 

The Army asked the Gen Z representatives to come up with a common decision and get in touch on Thursday morning. Army officials outside the headquarters made the announcement via loudspeaker after GenZ protesters shouted slogans against the leadership proposal. “Please provide us tomorrow morning with the names and contact numbers of your group leaders, clearly stating who they are and how many,” an Army representative said. “Submit the list with one leader’s name from each group.”

Dharan Mayor Sampang and Prasai also reached the Nepali Army headquarters for discussion. Prasai met with Army Chief Sigdel, where they held discussions about the country’s current situation and the way forward. “After this long discussion, my conclusion is clear—I have no desire for leadership,” Prasai said. “My priority is whatever solution works for the country.” He added that respecting the voice of the GenZ, he would accept the leadership of either Shah or Karki.

Meanwhile, Nepali Congress General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma have urged all sides to ensure that efforts to form a new political structure do not lead to a prolonged constitutional vacuum or instability.

Issuing a joint statement, they said: “We appeal for the conclusion of the current initiative in line with the aspirations of the GenZ generation. While invoking the ‘doctrine of necessity,’ we remind everyone that decisions must and can be advanced through constitutional and legal means.”

They cautioned that lawlessness would invite further chaos: “We urge the President and the GenZ side that while building a new political structure to run the country and hold elections, every possible legal measure should be adopted to prevent a long constitutional void. The roadmap to end misgovernance must be sought through the Constitution and democratic path. We will support this approach.”

The leaders added: “To reverse the progress we have made in terms of representation, justice, and inclusion would invite another cycle of protests and revolts. Just as sovereign citizens sacrificed their lives in past movements to secure today’s achievements, we must ensure those gains are not overturned. Our efforts will now focus on ensuring the country does not move backward from the 2015 Constitution. We firmly believe that change must always carry forward progress.”

Acknowledging the causes of the current crisis, they said individuals and parties who came to power after the establishment of the federal democratic republic failed to meet public expectations, allowing corruption and misrule to flourish. “We admit our attempts to hold those in power accountable were incomplete, that we could not intervene effectively, and that we failed to understand the rhythm and aspirations of the new generation on time. But in this changed context, we commit to rebuilding the Nepali Congress from the roots up, in line with the hopes and expectations of the youth,” the statement added.

The CPN-UML leadership has also issued a statement. Calling the incidents a major setback for the nation, UML stressed that the destructive acts contradicted the protest organizers’ earlier commitment to peaceful demonstrations. The party demanded clarity on “who orchestrated and executed such destructive incidents” and called for a review of the security agencies’ role.

General Secretary Shankar Pokharel and Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali stated that the political way forward after KP Sharma Oli’s resignation must be sought through constitutional and democratic means. It urged President Ramchandra Paudel to initiate meaningful dialogue to address the demands of the youth, including good governance, efficient public services, and accelerated development.