In first appearance after resignation, Nepal ex-PM Oli says he won't flee

In his first public speech since stepping down earlier this month, former Nepal prime minister KP Sharma Oli and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has said he will not flee and accused Sushila Karki-led government of trying to strip him of security and privileges.

Speaking at a gathering of the party's youth wing, Yuwa Sangh Nepal, in Gundu, Bhaktapur yesterday (27 September), Oli dismissed speculation about leaving the country. "Do you think we will flee by handing over the nation to this groundless government?" he asked supporters.

Oli, who vacated the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar on 9 September following Gen Z-led protests that toppled his government, said he was determined to "restore peace, good governance and constitutional order."

He moved into a rented house in Gundu after protesters torched his personal residence in Balkot.

He accused the current administration of lacking legitimacy, claiming it came to power through "vandalism and arson" rather than a popular mandate.

Oli also challenged the government to release recordings of his directives to officials and security agencies during the protests. "Publish them with courage. Make public the instructions I gave," he said.

He expressed concern over threats of fresh attacks and criticized the government for failing to ensure his security. "On social media, there are open calls to attack my residence. What is the government doing? Just watching?" he asked.

Oli also objected to reports that the government has decided to withhold passports of several leaders, including himself, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Arzu Rana Deuba, Ramesh Lekhak, and Deepak Khadka.

The former prime minister accused the Karki government of "throwing the country into insecurity" by targeting political opponents.

Oli's government was toppled on the second day of the Gen Z protest. Rights groups have held him and then-Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak responsible for excessive force that left dozens dead during the unrest.

A monitoring report by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday said the government's failure to anticipate the intensity of the protests and declining morale of security forces contributed to heavy casualties and damage. It noted that while the first day of protests on September 8 remained peaceful, police shootings triggered widespread violence the following day.

Source: The Kathmandu Post