Amid the demand for rapper-turned-Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah aka Balen Shah to fulfil the aspirations of the protesting Gen Z members and take over the leadership of Nepal, he appears to have already started acting the part.
Following the resignation of veteran politician K.P. Sharma Oli as prime minister in the wake of the widespread agitations in the country, Balen Shah has appealed for peace from protestors.
Pointing out that the prime minister has already stepped down, he asked people to remain calm and said the loss of the national resources is the country's collective loss.
He said the younger generation will have to lead the country and added that there will be discussions held with the army chief.
"It is now necessary for all of us to show restraint. From here onwards, it is your generation that must lead the country," he said.
"The country is in your hands. You guys will make it. Now, no matter how much damage is, you will be ours. Go back home now," he said in another social media post.
The protestors and social media users have been calling for “Balen Dai” to lead Nepal, urging him to assume the role of PM. He is being seen as an outsider to traditional political parties, representing clean governance, accountability, and a break from decades-long corruption.
In an editorial, The Kathmandu Post has claimed that the old generation, represented by Oli, is no longer a stakeholder in a new Nepal.
"The people who are leading today's agitation are clearly saying, ‘Come Balen, save us from this crisis.’ Just as the leadership chosen by the contemporary movement was established after the changes of 1990 and 2006, today's movement must also choose its own leader," it read.
