Reinventing Parties to Gen Z Aspirations

A new political force, the Nepali Communist Party, has been formed through the unification of 10 leftist groups, including the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the CPN (Unified Socialist). The party is led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal of the Maoist Centre and Madhav Kumar Nepal of the CPN (Unified Socialist), along with other senior figures. The leaders have stated that, while they are heading the party for now, new leadership will emerge in the future. The Gen Z movement of early September has left a lasting impact on the country, inspiring self-reflection and a call for political reform. Yet, change in Nepal’s political culture is rarely easy; even so, it now seems unavoidable. Senior leaders such as Janardan Sharma of the Maoist Centre, Ghanashyam Bhusal of the Unified Socialist, and Netra Bikram Chand of another communist faction have begun holding talks. Interestingly, Chand — long known for his electoral abstention — is now reportedly in favour of contesting elections. On the other end of the spectrum, leaders advocating a Hindu state or monarchy restoration, including former Panchayat-era figures, are also discussing political unification.