Nepal: Deadly Protests Force PM Out

"In view of the adverse situation in the country, I have resigned effective today to facilitate the solution to the problem and to help resolve it politically in accordance with the constitution," Oli said in his resignation letter to President Ram Chandra Poudel.

"There is no clear constitutional provision for what should happen next in such circumstances," said Bipin Adhikari, professor of constitutional law at Kathmandu University.

"One viable option is for the president to call for a comprehensive national consensus government. The prime minister should be selected from the parliament, as per the 2015 constitution, while ensuring the demands of Gen Z youths are acknowledged through their representation in this dialogue," he told DW.

Will there be a political vacuum?

C.D. Bhatta, a political scientist, said that the credibility of all major political forces in the country "has become irrelevant."

"At this point, everyone is trying to capitalize on the situation to lead the government," he told DW. "We have already entered a political and constitutional vacuum."

"The situation must now be resolved by the president with the help of the Nepali Army," Bhatta stressed.

"The only option is to form a civilian government until the next elected government is in place, fully backed by the Nepali army, which remains the only relevant and legitimate force in the country."

Adhikari echoed this view.

"This government should be backed by the Nepali army, which is currently the only force capable of maintaining law and order," he said.

Critics, however, slammed the move as an "assault on free expression" and attempt to stifle dissent and opposition voices.

It was "a desperate bid by an unpopular government to silence critics," Tara Nath Dahal, chairperson of the NGO Freedom Forum Nepal, told DW.

"We are not against the political system or the constitution. We are against the crony government, political parties, and their inept leadership," a representative of the protest movement, who asked not to be named, told DW.

"We demand good governance and justice for those who lost their lives during these protests. We don't want the same old faces repeated in the new political course."

Rights groups have called for accountability and an independent investigation into the violence.

Nirajan Thapaliya, director of Amnesty International Nepal, said his organization "strongly condemns the unlawful use of lethal and less-lethal force by law enforcement in Nepal" and urged authorities to "exercise maximum restraint."

Following Oli's resignation, the Nepali army posted an appeal on X asking people to "exercise restraint."

India, which is home to hundreds of thousands of Nepali citizens, said it hoped that all relevant actors in the neighboring country will exercise restraint and resolve issues through talks.

The embassies of Australia, Finland, France, Japan, South Korea, UK, Norway, Germany, and the US in Nepal also issued a joint statement urging all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid further escalation and ensure fundamental rights are protected.