Nepal's Top Party Rejects Youth, Reinstalls Ousted Leader

In a move defying a national push for younger leadership, Nepal’s Communist Party of the Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) has re-elected Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli as its chairman. Oli, a 72-year-old former prime minister, recently left office amid low public approval. The decision directly challenges demands from Nepal's Gen Z and youth protesters for fresh faces in politics. By returning to Oli, the country's second-largest party signals a preference for established figures over generational change. Analysts suggest this could alienate young voters ahead of future elections. The CPN-UML now faces the task of uniting its base while navigating a public call for new leadership that it has so far ignored.