On September 4, the Nepali government banned dozens of social media platforms to curb dissent. Instead, the move unleashed mass nationwide protests. Within one week, Nepal had no government—just a burnt shell of its parliament building.
Nepal’s near-total governmental collapse was primarily led by Gen Z protestors who were frustrated with systemic corruption and economic inequality under former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli. In Nepal, the wealthiest 10 percent of the population has over 26 times the wealth of the poorest 40 percent and holds significant influence over the country’s politics. While Nepal’s Gen Z citizens struggle with a youth unemployment rate of over 20 percent, the children of Nepal’s politicians flaunt their wealth on social media, epitomizing the out-of-touch Oli administration. Days of mass protests led to Oli’s forced resignation, leaving a political power vacuum.
While Oli’s resignation is not unique—the country has had 14 governments in the last 17 years—Nepal’s method of forming a new government is one never seen before: a government chosen via Discord. The “Youth Against Corruption” Discord server, run by the leading protest group Hami Nepal, elected former Supreme Court judge Sushila Karki as Nepal’s next prime minister. On September 12, Karki was officially sworn in by Nepal’s president and Army Chief after meetings with Gen Z leaders. Karki is now Nepal’s first-ever female prime minister and will serve until March 2026. However, her tense relationship with Hami Nepal warns of another potential government deterioration.
Championing transparency and anti-corruption, the nonprofit organization Hami Nepal called for overthrowing the government, hoping that a democratic future might be possible. Founded in response to a devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake in 2015, Hami Nepal acted as a crisis network, delivering direct assistance from donors to Nepalis in need. Yet, during Nepal’s protests, Hami Nepal shifted from providing aid to centralizing information and mobilizing protestors. Hami Nepal was a leading force in mobilizing Nepal’s protests alongside other groups, using its Discord server with over 150,000 members as a key organizing platform. Due to its anonymity, protestors viewed Discord as an ideal place to voice opinions without fear of intimidation, especially given mass police crackdowns at physical protests.
While online organizing offers many benefits, by harnessing Nepali disillusionment and centralizing information, Hami Nepal also threatens the concept of democracy in Nepal. The organization now occupies the role of “fact-maker” (and fact-dismisser) and is making strides toward political influence, suggesting that Hami Nepal seeks to become a dominant political party rather than a neutral caretaking administrator between regimes.
Hami Nepal’s motto of “For the People, By the People” reflects their push for political transparency. In real time, Hami Nepal volunteers asked its Discord users who should be considered for prime minister and contacted several influential political figures upon recommendation. Later, a series of polls established a list of candidates including Sushila Karki; Kathmandu’s popular rapper-turned-mayor, Balendrah Shah (or “Balen”); and popular cricketer Sagar Dhakal. Karki, whose fight against corruption in the police force resulted in her near-impeachment from the Supreme Court in 2017, is a symbol of longstanding integrity to voters worried about a continuously tumultuous political landscape. When a poll asked the Discord channel if they would like to create a formal petition for Karki to become prime minister, 89 percent of the nearly 7,000 voters chose ‘yes.’ Gen Z livestreamers debated the election behind Zoom icons of devils and anime-like characters, and the nominations and election for Nepal’s interim prime minister were punctuated by pregnant male emojis and GIFs of streamer IShowSpeed. The lack of seriousness among poll reactions dismisses the significance of the server: Hami Nepal successfully led an unprecedented online open election process. Gen Z Nepalis were able to debate the future of their country’s politics together and determine the direction of the country.
Nonetheless, Hami Nepal’s self-assertion as the “transparent” source of information on its Discord server and targeting of those who defy it offers one warning of the organization’s potential political dominance. The only users who can post on the server’s main channels are Hami Nepal’s moderators. Thus, it is Hami Nepal’s moderators themselves who determine what is or is not “misinformation.” As their #fact-check channel posts suggest, Hami Nepal often defends the words of their own leadership. The equality of the “democratic” server’s structure is compromised by the inability of non-Hami Nepal users to help dictate fact from fiction. Users could vote and debate candidates together on the server, but they could not openly rebuke Hami Nepal’s claims. Thus, by leveraging its control over communication and factual legitimacy, the organization risks creating a dangerous echo chamber where dissent is silenced.
By conflating the organization’s mission with Gen Z’s desire for democracy as a whole, Hami Nepal has the ability to target opposition groups and cement its own power within Nepali politics. A September 20 post opposing politician Mahesh Basnet accuses him of “[betraying] the sacrifices of the people and the martyrs,” invoking their image to cause agitation against sitting politicians. While Hami Nepal urges protestors not to engage in violence, they also push channel members to keep the “revolution” alive with inflammatory rhetoric. Since Karki has declared that her tenure as prime minister will end with the general elections for prime minister on March 5, 2026, Nepal’s power vacuum remains. By inflaming protestors and maintaining agitation towards politicians, Hami Nepal can manipulate this power vacuum towards their own political advantage. For example, Hami Nepal’s own Sudan Gurung announced his campaign for prime minister in the March election. Gurung even said he would topple Karki’s government, arguing that it should be transitional rather than a long-term government. While an unnamed Hami Nepal official opposed this claim, the organization’s political sway over protesters questions their stance as a broker rather than a political player.
The effects of Hami Nepal’s Discord election have manifested in political change for Nepal. In the first weeks, Karki’s government dissolved parliament and pledged to lower the voting age in March’s elections to 16. Karki’s government, while not led by Gen Z officials themselves, is guided by younger Nepalis’ desire for transparency, democracy, and equality in the country. However, even Karki may fall at the hands of Hami Nepal, the same organization that endorsed her revolutionary rise to power. Gurung, who even touched Karki’s feet to show reverence, organized Hami Nepal protests calling for her resignation just three days after she was sworn in. The fragility of Nepal’s current peace reflects the fragility of the relationship between Karki and Gurung: both have declared themselves leaders of the “people” to legitimize their political aims. Hami Nepal’s growing power and organization against Karki signals a future power grab for Gurung and continued turbulence for Nepali politics.