Nepalese president moves to form new government amid deadly protests

• President's Office set on fire as protests continue despite lifting of social media ban

ANKARA

Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel is preparing to start the process to form a new government after he accepted the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday amid deadly protests.

Oli resigned following deadly protests over the social media ban as well as alleged corruption, which escalated out of control and resulted in the deaths of at least 20 protesters, mostly youth, daily My Republica reported.

​​​​​​​Nearly 350 others have been injured.

Paudel “is consulting with relevant parties to advance the government formation process as per the Constitution,” said a presidential advisor.

Protesters also set fire to the President's Office on Tuesday afternoon. However, Paudel has already been shifted to a secure location by the Nepali army, digital newspaper Setopati reported.

Nepal has seen dramatic events since Monday, after Oli banned social media, asking these multinational platforms to open their offices in the landlocked Himalayan nation.

The move triggered mass protests in the capital Kathmandu, with protesters storming public buildings and offices of political parties, as well as entering the parliament building before setting it on fire.

The protesters also set fire to the residences of top leaders as violent protests continued despite the government's announcement to lift the social media ban.