Nepal’s prime minister KP Sharma Oli has resigned after violent anti-corruption protests.
“The PM has quit,” his aide Prakash Silwal told Reuters news agency on Tuesday.
In his resignation letter, sent to Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Paudel, Mr Oli said he is leaving with immediate effect “in order to take further steps towards a political solution and resolution of the problems […] taking into account the extraordinary situation currently prevailing in the country.”
The president has now begun the process to install a new PM, his aide said.
Mr Oli’s exit comes as demonstrators defied an indefinite curfew, clashed with police and set politicians’ homes on fire, a day after 19 people died in violent protests triggered by a social media ban.
His government lifted the ban after protests turned violent when police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters trying to storm parliament on Monday.
The unrest is the worst Nepal has seen in decades. The Himalayan country has struggled with economic uncertainty and political instability since protests led to its monarchy being abolished in 2008.
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Prior to resigning, Mr Oli had on Tuesday called a cross-party meeting where he said violence was not in Nepal’s interests and added: “We have to resort to peaceful dialogue to find solutions to any problem.”
But anger against the government continued with protesters gathering outside parliament and other significant locations in the Nepali capital of Kathmandu.
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Kathmandu Airport, Nepal’s international gateway, closed at around 3.15pm local time (10.30am UK time) on Tuesday due to the unrest.
In the city centre, some demonstrators set fire to tires, threw stones at riot police and chased officers through the streets.
The Kathmandu homes of some politicians were also set on fire. These include properties belonging to President Poudel and Sher Bahadur Deuba, leader of the largest party Nepali Congress.
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Local media reported that some ministers were taken to safety by military helicopters.
The demonstrations began in response to social media networks including Facebook, X and YouTube last week being blocked in Nepal after they failed to comply with new government regulations.
But the unrest has spiralled, driven by young people’s frustration with the Nepali government’s perceived lack of action to tackle corruption and boost economic opportunities.
