Kathmandu, Oct 24: The government and Gen Z groups are preparing to sign a written agreement to document and implement the demands raised during the Gen Z movement. The signing will take place in the presence of President Ramchandra Paudel.
According to officials, the agreement will be similar to the 2006 Comprehensive Peace Accord signed between the then-state and the Maoists. Informal talks with various Gen Z groups are ongoing, and the draft will be finalized after formal negotiations in the next few days.
A senior government source said formal talks will be held with eight Gen Z factions, coordinated by Prime Minister Sushila Karki’s chief advisor, Ajay Bhadra Khanal. If the talks go well, the agreement will be signed soon in the presence of the president.
On October 11, the government had held discussions at the presidential residence, Sheetal Niwas, with several Gen Z representatives. As President Paudel had fallen ill that day, only the prime minister and a few ministers attended the meeting. Another round of talks took place on October 16 after the president recovered.
Those present included Prime Minister Karki, Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, Energy Minister Kulman Ghising, Law Minister Anil Sinha, Education Minister Mahabir Pun, Agriculture Minister Madan Pariyar, and Communication Minister Jagdish Kharel. Sixteen representatives from the Gen Z movement, including injured participants and families of martyrs, attended from the other side.
During the long meeting, the Gen Z representatives strongly demanded a written agreement. They complained to the president and prime minister that they were being branded as “terrorists.”
"For the legitimacy of our movement, an agreement must be signed,” they said. “We shed blood for this cause, yet the same corrupt political parties and leaders rejected by the people are attacking us. Our sacrifices are being devalued, and our movement is being insulted. Without an agreement, there can be no election.”
After hearing their concerns, President Paudel tried to reassure them, saying the movement had already earned legitimacy by changing the political course of the country, toppling the government and parliament.
“Not all agreements have to be written,” the president said, as quoted by a minister. “The parliament and government collapsed because of your movement. Party leaders have already resigned, and those who haven’t are facing pressure to step down. That proves the movement’s legitimacy. At this age, I am here late at night discussing your concerns. You have already won.”
He added that having a clean and respected leader like Prime Minister Sushila Karki was a major achievement of the movement. The president also praised Karki and her family’s contribution to the democratic struggle, recalling how political rivals once tried to impeach her out of revenge but were later forced to withdraw it.
Prime Minister Karki assured the participants that her government was committed to addressing Gen Z’s demands and honoring the movement’s mandate. Home Minister Aryal informed them that Ajay Bhadra Khanal had been appointed to lead further talks and coordination with the groups.
Khanal has since been holding discussions with more than half a dozen factions representing different Gen Z fronts. One minister said the contents of the agreement were still being finalized.
The government reportedly seeks to reach a formal deal with the core leaders of the Gen Z movement to avoid confusion caused by the emergence of multiple self-proclaimed groups. Security agencies have also reported that around 25 political and non-political groups are operating under the Gen Z banner.
“The agreement will be signed within days,” said a minister. “The government believes it must formalize and document Gen Z’s demands to honor the martyrs, the injured, and the real frontline activists.”
People's News Monitoring Service