Gen Z movement leaders have warned of a renewed agitation unless the government immediately removes the Chief Justice (CJ) and justices appointed through political party quotas and nepotism ('Nepo Baby') for the sake of good governance.
On Saturday, five groups—Gen Z movement leaders, martyr families, and injured youth—visited Baluwatar, the residence of the Prime Minister. To hear their concerns, Prime Minister Sushila Karki's Secretariat summoned Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, Law Minister Anil Kumar Sinha, Finance Minister Rameshwar Khanal, Energy and Physical Infrastructure Minister Kulman Ghising, and Communication Minister Jagdish Kharel.
During the meeting, Gen Z representatives read out their eight-point warning letter and forcefully demanded the removal of Chief Justice and Judicial Council head Prakash Man Singh Raut and other justices appointed via political quotas.
Key demands and government response
The Gen Z representatives argued that the current administration is not merely a caretaker or electoral government, but a "citizen government" formed for overall state reforms. They insisted on ending all systemic irregularities, stating that the Judicial Council's function is to cover up judicial corruption, and that reforms are impossible while justices are appointed based on party quotas and family ties.
Removing the Chief Justice and Supreme Court justices under the current constitution requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament to pass an impeachment motion. Despite the ministers explaining the government's constitutional mandate and limitations, the Gen Z leaders remained firm on their demands.
They asserted that the judiciary is a core root of corruption and misgovernance, not just past governments, and therefore, purging the courts is essential to end the nation's irregularities. They vehemently asserted that they would not back down until their main demand—ending corruption and irregularities—is met, even if it means "being shot at again."
They demanded that the government take a "big and bold step" to reform the judiciary by ending all kinds of systemic irregularities. They also called on the officials of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to either aggressively pursue anti-corruption action or resign.
The ministers listened attentively but did not give a clear stance on whether the demands would be accepted or rejected, with the Home and Law Ministers attempting to clarify the government's constitutional boundaries and mandate.
Internal group discord and meeting context
The Prime Minister herself was not present at the two-hour-long discussion, which began at 5 pm at Baluwatar; her Chief Private Secretary, Adarsha Kumar Shrestha, took notes.
The Gen Z movement is fragmented, with separate groups led by Sudan Gurung, Rakshya Bam, and Bablu Gupta. The injured youth have a separate group led by Abhishek Shrestha, and the martyr families have their own representatives. Internal dissent has been evident, as Rakshya Bam and others rejected a negotiation group formed by Sudan Gurung. A viral video showed Abhishek Shrestha expressing anger at Sudan from his hospital bed, and martyr families had voiced concerns about the lack of an official Gen Z leader and the government's perceived sympathy for old political parties.
The meeting was organized by the Prime Minister's Secretariat to pay heed to the demands of Gen Z groups, foster consensus on certain issues, and clarify any ambiguities from the government's side. In addition to judicial reform, the representatives also demanded the immediate detention and investigation of former Prime Ministers and ministers from the preceding government.
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