After the government was overthrown by fatal anti-corruption protests, Sushila Karki, a former chief justice of Nepal’s Supreme Court, was appointed as the country’s acting prime minister.
After striking a compromise with protest organisers, the 73-year-old was sworn in at a short ceremony, becoming the first woman to head the poor Himalayan nation.
The social media ban that spurred this week’s enormous rallies resulted in conflicts with riot police that killed over 50 people.
On Monday, the prohibition was lifted, but by then, the demonstrations had grown into a large-scale movement. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was forced to resign on Tuesday after angry mobs in the capital Kathmandu set government and parliament buildings on fire.
Earlier on Friday, President Ram Chandra Poudel’s press adviser had confirmed that Karki would take the oath of office that evening.
Following days of discussions, the president and the protest organisers came to an agreement. There were also legal specialists present.
Late Friday saw the dissolution of Parliament, and it was declared that general elections would take place on March 5 of the following year.
Within a few days, Karki is anticipated to name ministers to her cabinet.
Student leaders from the so-called “Gen Z” movement are supporting her leadership of the temporary administration, and she is generally seen as having a clean image.
However, her cabinet will have to deal with a number of issues, such as re-establishing law and order, rebuilding the parliament and other important structures that were damaged, and comforting the Gen Z demonstrators who demand change and other Nepalis who are worried that the country’s fledgling democracy and constitutional order may be overthrown.
Bringing the perpetrators of violence to justice will be another crucial responsibility.
This week, Nepal’s army chief mediated negotiations that led to Karki’s appointment as a compromise. Many Gen Z supporters view this as the next step in the new political direction they want to see the nation take, and they are sharing their joy on social media.
Karki went to the Kathmandu protest location on Tuesday, where 19 people had been killed in clashes with police the previous day. She also had the opportunity to meet some of the hospitalised injured people receiving treatment.
The new prime minister was born into a family that had strong ties to the Koirala political dynasty and the Nepali Congress, the main democratic party in the nation. She later wed Durga Subedi, who was the leader at the time.
She has stated that her transition from a lawyer to Nepal’s top justice in 2016 was greatly aided by her husband’s assistance.
However, Karki has not been without controversy; during her roughly 11-month time as chief justice, she was involved in an impeachment issue.
As the nation struggles with its worst turmoil in decades, Nepal’s army continues to police the streets of Kathmandu. Only a limited relaxation of restrictions was made to enable residents to purchase necessities.
The government’s move last week to ban 26 social media sites, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, set off the protests, but they quickly expanded to reflect a far deeper dissatisfaction with Nepal’s political establishment.
A “nepo kid” campaign that highlighted the extravagant lifestyles of politicians’ kids and accusations of corruption had gained traction on social media in the weeks before to the ban.
Additionally, the protests had already gathered unstoppable pace by the time the social media ban was swiftly restored on Monday night.
