The CPN-UML has called on President Ram Chandra Paudel to initiate a political solution in a constitutional and democratic manner.
In a joint statement, the party's General Secretary Shankar Pokharel and Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali said that a solution must be found through meaningful dialogue.
"The political solution after the prime minister's resignation must be sought in a constitutional and democratic manner," Pokharel and Gyawali stated. "We draw the attention of the honorable president to the need to start a meaningful dialogue and take the necessary steps to address the demands of the youth—including good governance, easy service delivery, and rapid development—in a constitutional way through a productive dialogue."
Stating that the democratic republic and the multi-party competitive system should not be weakened in any way, they said that every attempt at a solution should further strengthen democracy.
The two leaders also urged the Nepal Army and all other security agencies to effectively control the widespread looting, arson, and vandalism taking place across the country, taking advantage of the current abnormal situation, and to protect the lives and property of the people.
"The entire country is grief-stricken by the tragic death and injury of youths from police gunfire during the Gen Z's protests, which were launched with various demands, including against corruption," the joint statement said. "We once again pay our respects to all those who were killed and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. We express our deepest condolences to the families suffering from the loss of their children."
The two leaders also demanded an impartial investigation into the incident and legal action against the culprits.
"Before the wounds of that pain could heal, the country was once again stunned by the events of arson, vandalism, violence, and looting that took place across the country yesterday," they said. "Hundreds of structures, including the Federal Parliament building, President's Office, historic Singha Durbar, Supreme Court, Attorney General's Office, and police offices, have been destroyed. Precious and rare records, documents, and deeds have been burned and destroyed. Public and private property, including hotels, departmental stores, cable cars, car showrooms, and banks have been damaged to the tune of hundreds of billions of rupees. Thousands of prisoners, including those convicted of serious crimes, have been released from jails. The leaders, party workers, and offices of political parties have been targeted. The entire society is deeply hurt by these events, which have pushed the country back decades in terms of development."
Pokharel and Gyawali said that an honest investigation should be conducted into who and how these destructive and devastating incidents occurred, despite the organizers' prior announcement that the protests would be peaceful and their clear statement that they had no involvement in them.
"In this process, the role of the state's security agencies should also be reviewed," they said.
They also urged the party to move forward in this difficult situation with resilience, unity, and optimism for the future.
"We have come this far by overcoming and conquering abnormal challenges such as autocracy, armed conflict, extreme social discord, and natural and man-made disasters," they said. "This adverse situation will not last forever. It will surely change. In this time of crisis, we urge all comrades to stay in regular contact, try to find a collective solution to the problems, coordinate with the administration to protect public and private property, maintain peace and security, and provide necessary relief to the people in distress."
They further added, "An objective analysis of the overall situation and a review of any of our shortcomings will happen at an appropriate time. But at this moment, it is more important to hold on, be united, and move forward with firm conviction. In this adverse situation, where serious challenges have arisen for the nation, democracy, and the communist movement, we believe that the comrades will play a constructive role in their protection."
