Nepal’s Gen Z Turns Discord into a Political Arena

Credit: Al Jazeera - Narendra Shrestha/EPA

Kathmandu, Nepal — September 12, 2025 Young Nepalis have turned a popular chat platform better known for gaming into the stage of a national power shift. In just a few days, Nepali youth organized a digital election on Discord that resulted in the selection of 73-year-old former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the country’s interim prime minister.

The movement gained traction after the government restricted access to more than two dozen social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. What began as frustration online escalated into street demonstrations across major cities. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned under mounting pressure, and with institutions in chaos, young activists pushed forward with their own solution.

Discord became the hub of the new political movement. A server created by civic group Hami Nepal drew more than 130,000 participants, many of whom were protestors on the ground. Within the server, users held live debates, shared candidate speeches, and organized several rounds of voting. Moderators compared it to a real election, only faster and without the interference of traditional political parties.

Candidates included Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah, energy reform advocate Kulman Ghising, and Karki, who was praised for her record of independence and anti-corruption efforts. After a final vote limited to verified participants in the protests, Karki emerged as the leading choice.

On Friday night, she was sworn in as Nepal’s first female prime minister. Military officials, diplomats, and representatives from the protest movement attended the ceremony, signaling the seriousness of the transfer of power. Plans are already in motion for formal national elections on March 5, 2026.

Global observers were quick to react. Social media was filled with jokes, memes, and astonishment. One participant wrote, “I typed Karki’s name into Discord and now she runs the country.” Another commented, “Nepal’s parliament is basically a Discord server now.”

Skeptics have questioned the legitimacy of the process, warning that online elections could lack safeguards. Still, many young Nepalis see it as an experiment in participatory democracy that bypassed a gridlocked system. A 23-year-old content creator put it simply: “Right now, Nepal’s parliament is Discord.”

For Nepal’s Gen Z, the rapid shift from protest to digital election may serve as a model of civic action in the digital age.