Kathmandu, Dec. 14 -- The Gen Z uprising in September demanded generational change in the leadership of Nepal's political parties.

The youth protests of September 8 and 9 led to the collapse of the KP Sharma Oli-led government, in which the Nepali Congress was a major coalition partner.

The movement triggered a debate in the UML over the need for leadership handover, and a decision was made to hold the party's 11th general convention a year ahead of schedule. The convention, which was due in around a year's time, kicked off on Saturday.

Despite an early convention, youth leaders in the party aren't optimistic about having meaningful youth representation in the party's top positions.

While youth representation among convention delegate...