Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel has formally accepted Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's resignation, announced earlier on Tuesday amid violent protests that saw the parliament building set on fire and official offices vandalised.
Paudel has now begun the process of selecting a new leader to form the government, his aide confirmed.
The unrest erupted after the government banned social media on Monday, sparking violent demonstrations that resulted in at least 19 deaths and left 346 injured.
Protesters targeted government properties, including the Parliament building, party offices, and the Prime Minister’s residence, according to Seto Pati.
Amid the chaos, the Nepalese army evacuated ministers via helicopter as protesters stormed their homes.
Prior to Oli’s resignation, at least three ministers had already stepped down.
In response, the Nepalese army, security agencies, and civil bureaucracy issued a public appeal for calm and restraint.
The appeal expressed deep condolences to the families of those killed and sympathy to the injured, urging citizens to avoid further damage to life and property.
"With the resignation of the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli now accepted, we sincerely urge all citizens to remain calm and avoid further damage to life and property," the appeal said.
"We also call on all concerned parties to seek a swift and peaceful resolution through political dialogue," it added.
Kathmandu's airport remains open, but some flights were cancelled after smoke from fires affected visibility, airport spokesman Rinji Sherpa said.
Oli’s political career stretched nearly six decades, a period that saw a decade-long civil war, with Nepal abolishing its absolute monarchy in 2008 to become a republic.
First elected as prime minister in 2015, he was re-elected in 2018, reappointed briefly in 2021, and then took power in 2024 after his Communist Party forged a coalition government with the centre-left Nepali Congress in the often-volatile parliament.
Bringing social media back online "was among the Gen Z's demands", Minister for Communication Prithvi Subba Gurung told AFP, referring to young people aged largely in their 20s.
The ban fed into existing anger at the government in a country with a youth bulge.
People aged 15-40 make up nearly 43 percent of the population, according to government statistics - while unemployment hovers around 10 percent and GDP per capita is just $1,447, according to the World Bank.
