Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli Resigns

"I have stepped down from the post of prime minister effective today... to take further steps toward a political solution and resolving the current issues," KP Sharma Oli wrote in a letter to the president.

The demonstrations, which began on Monday with demands to lift the social media ban and address corruption, flared up again even after the apps were restored.

At least 19 people lost their lives on Monday, with Amnesty International reporting that security forces used live ammunition against protesters.

Oli, 73, had started his fourth term last year after his Communist Party formed a coalition government with the center-left Nepali Congress in the country’s frequently turbulent parliament.

Public frustration has been mounting over political instability, corruption, and sluggish economic growth in the Himalayan nation of 30 million.

Government figures show that nearly 43 percent of the population is between 15 and 40 years old, while unemployment sits around 10 percent and GDP per capita is only $1,447, according to the World Bank.

Nepal transitioned into a federal republic in 2008 following a decade-long civil war and a peace accord that integrated the Maoists into government and abolished the monarchy.

Since then, a succession of elderly prime ministers and constant political maneuvering have strengthened the public perception that leaders are disconnected from citizens.

In recent days, viral TikTok videos have highlighted the struggles of ordinary Nepalis in stark contrast with the lavish lifestyles of politicians’ children, flaunting luxury goods and costly vacations—despite the app not being among those blocked.