Nepal's new leader launches anti-corruption crackdown after ex-PM arrest

Newly-elected Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah has launched an anti-corruption crackdown just days after being sworn in as the Himalayan country's head of government. This move comes amid intense investigations into last year's violent protests.

On Monday, Nepal's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced it has begun investigating the assets of four former prime ministers: K.P. Sharma Oli, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Madhav Kumar Nepal. Oli, along with former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, were arrested in pre-dawn raids on Saturday after a commission recommended prosecuting several officials for failing to stop security forces from opening fire on demonstrators during last year's 'Gen Z' protests.

The violent uprising left 77 dead and more than 2,000 injured, leading to the dissolution of the nation's parliament. In response, Prime Minister Shah unveiled a 100-point reform plan focusing on anti-corruption efforts and bureaucratic reform. The government also pledged to rehabilitate and provide job opportunities to people affected by last year's protests.

Under the 100-day plan, the new government will ban politics in universities and reform the school and education system. It will also implement a digital ID project. These measures come amid allegations that external forces, including the U.S. government's National Endowment for Democracy (NED), may have influenced the protests, according to leaked documents cited by The Grayzone website.