In a parallel development, the Supreme Court of Nepal declined to issue an interim stay against the appointment of the Karki government and the dissolution of the House of Representatives, a move challenged in 16 separate writ petitions.

In a high-stakes political session in Kathmandu on Wednesday, the government, seven political parties and representatives of the Gen Z anti-corruption movement reached a broad consensus to schedule mid-term elections for 5 March next year. The session – convened at the official residence of Prime Minister Sushila Karki in Baluwatar – marked an unprecedented tripartite dialogue between government, political parties and youth leaders.

Most of the parties represented in the now-dissolved House of Representatives voiced their commitment to proceed with the polls, signalling a shared desire for political renewal. However, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) (UML) remained the only major holdout, maintaining that the lower-house’s dissolution was unconstitutional and that elections should follow reinstatement of Parliament.

Gen Z representatives endorsed the existing constitutional order and reiterated their support for timely elections, while raising concerns about corruption, governance and the rights of Nepalis living abroad.

Court Defers Decision

Meanwhile, in a parallel development, the Supreme Court of Nepal declined to issue an interim stay against the appointment of the Karki government and the dissolution of the House of Representatives – a move challenged in 16 separate writ petitions. A five-member bench led by Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut concluded that the petitions would be heard at a final hearing and that an interim order was not necessary at this stage.

Nonetheless, the court directed the offices of the President and the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers to submit written clarifications within seven days regarding their decisions on government formation and dissolution of Parliament – halving the standard timeline amid what it described as the urgency of the matter.

Mounting Tensions; Trust Deficit

The backdrop to both developments is the dramatic upheaval triggered by the Gen Z protest movement on 8-9 September that toppled the previous Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli-led UML government, followed by the appointment of Karki and the dissolution of the House.

During Wednesday’s tripartite meeting, the Gen Z cohort sought assurances for electoral integrity, diaspora voting rights and institutional reforms. They met with scepticism from political parties at first but the meeting ended on a note of cautious optimism. “Today’s dialogue between the government, political parties and Gen Z leaders has created new trust and positive energy,” Prime Minister Karki said afterwards.

However the UML’s resistance remains a major fault-line. The party insists the dissolution was illegal, that sufficient time has not been given for elections and that conditions remain unsafe in the upper hills and mountainous areas.

What Lies Ahead

With the Supreme Court yet to rule on the constitutional validity of the government formation and House dissolution, the election timeline remains under legal and political pressure. Whether the March date holds will depend not just on logistics but on settlement of outstanding constitutional questions.

The government and majority parties now face the task of converting the broad agreement into concrete preparations: finalising the voters list, securing polling infrastructure in remote areas, addressing raised concerns of security and ensuring adequate arrangements for Nepali expatriates to vote. The Gen Z leaders have emphasised that elections must go hand-in-hand with improved governance and anti-corruption measures.

Why it Matters

A timely election offers a way out of the prolonged political uncertainty that followed the September uprising. If held smoothly, it could reset constitutional democratisation and give political legitimacy to the interim government. Conversely, failure to deliver polls on schedule would deepen instability, risking the trust newly built between youth protesters and mainstream parties.

The court’s demand for clarifications adds weight to the constitutional stakes. A judgment favouring the petitions could invalidate the interim government’s actions and reset the political calendar. One opposing outcome could be further delays, or even a reinstatement of the dissolved House – exactly the outcome the UML has been pressing for.

As the clock ticks toward March the actors must navigate multiple fault-lines: legal validity, electoral readiness, geographic accessibility and youth expectations. The next seven days will see clarifications filed with the court. The interaction of judicial outcomes with political commitments will determine whether Nepal stays on track for timely elections or veers into deeper uncertainty.