KATHMANDU, Nov 4: Minister for Education, Science and Technology Mahabir Pun has said that the government cannot fulfil the recent demands raised by Gen-Z protesters — including scrapping the constitution and introducing a directly elected executive — even if it wants to.
In an interview with Republica at Singha Durbar, Minister Pun said the written agreement reached between the government and protesters after the September 9 protests does not mention scrapping the constitution or adopting a directly elected presidential system.
“The government cannot act outside the constitutional framework,” he said. “If the government forcefully decides to scrap the constitution or change the system, it will immediately face a case at the Supreme Court, and the court will strike it down.”
Directly elected executive system the only solution
He added that the government is bound by the existing constitution and the September 9 agreement, and therefore cannot exceed its mandate.
Pun said young protesters should acknowledge the weakness shown during the negotiation phase rather than blaming the government now.
“They should have taken a firm stance then — saying ‘we won’t accept the agreement unless it includes constitution scrapping’ — and ensured it was written,” he said. “Complaining now about something that was not included in the agreement makes no sense. Instead of dwelling on mistakes, they should learn from them and plan ahead.”
He further noted that any change to the constitution or governance system is only possible through elections. According to him, only by contesting elections under the current constitution, securing an overwhelming mandate, and bringing young leaders into policymaking roles can such demands be implemented legally.
“The only path for Gen-Z to realize their demands is to enter electoral politics,” he said. “Once young leaders replace old ones and reach the policymaking level, these demands can be fulfilled legally.”
