Nepal Appoints New Interim Prime Minister

By Staff, Agencies

Former Nepali Chief Justice Sushila Karki has been appointed an interim prime minister after widespread protests against corruption and the government’s ban on social media, which left at least 51 people dead and more than 1,300 injured.

The President Ram Chandra Paudel announced the appointment on Friday after dissolving parliament and setting elections for March 2026. 

The decision followed negotiations between the president, representatives of the country’s ‘Generation Z’ protest movement, and the chief of the army, General Ashok Raj Sigdel, as the military effectively took control of the capital Kathmandu and enforced a curfew.

Karki, 73, is Nepal’s first female interim prime minister and a former chief justice known for her anti-corruption stance. She faced an attempted impeachment in 2017, which failed after public outcry. She retired at age 65.

Mass demonstrations erupted in early September as young Nepalis protested against politicians’ children flaunting their wealth online while the country struggled with poverty and youth unemployment above 20%.

Protests escalated after a social media ban, leading to violent clashes with police using tear gas, water cannons, and live rounds. On Tuesday, activists set parliament on fire, forcing former PM K.P. Sharma Oli to resign.

Karki has not yet issued a statement on her appointment or outlined her immediate agenda. However, Nepal’s southern neighbor India welcomed the news.

“Heartfelt congratulations to the Honorable Sushila Karki Ji on assuming the office of prime minister of Nepal's interim government. India is fully committed to the peace, progress, and prosperity of Nepal's brothers and sisters,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X.