Nepal’s former chief justice, Sushila Karki, has been named to lead the country as its next prime minister following violent protests that toppled the government, the president’s office announced Friday
Karki, 73 and Nepal’s first female chief justice, is set to be sworn in later on Friday.
The Himalayan nation of 30 million was thrown into turmoil earlier this week after security forces attempted to suppress rallies by young anti-corruption protesters. At least 51 people were killed in the worst unrest since the end of the civil war and the monarchy’s abolition in 2008.
KP Sharma Oli, 73, leader of the Communist Party and the outgoing prime minister, resigned on Tuesday, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.
“President Ram Chandra Paudel will appoint former chief justice Sushila Karki as the prime minister,” presidential press adviser Kiran Pokharel told AFP. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for 9:00 pm (1515 GMT). He added that “a council of ministers will be formed after, and other processes will be taken from there.”
The military regained control of the streets on Wednesday, imposing a curfew, as Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel and President Paudel held talks with “Gen Z,” the youth protest movement behind the demonstrations.
“It is a moment of victory… finally the power vacuum has ended,” said Amrita Ban, a Gen Z activist. Nimesh Shrestha, also part of the movement, confirmed the group’s support for Karki: “We have an agreement. The parliament will be dissolved. Sushila Karki will be the prime minister.”
The protests erupted amid longstanding economic hardships in Nepal, where one in five people aged 15–24 are unemployed and GDP per capita is just $1,447. At least 21 of the dead were protesters, primarily killed on Monday during police crackdowns triggered by social media restrictions.
Protesters set fire to parliament buildings, major government offices, and a Hilton Hotel on Tuesday. Police said over 12,500 prisoners who escaped during the chaos remain at large, while the army reported recovering more than 100 looted firearms. Soldiers continued patrolling Kathmandu for a third consecutive day.
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