Sushila Karki Appointed Nepal’s Interim Prime Minister; Oath-Taking Tonight

Nepal’s former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, the only woman to hold that post, has been chosen to lead the country’s interim administration, ending days of speculation over who would serve as caretaker prime minister following the collapse of the KP Sharma Oli government after youth-led protests. Nepal's Parliament has been dissolved as well.

The decision was reached through a consensus between Gen-Z protesters, President Ram Chandra Paudel, and Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel.

According to sources, Ms. Karki, set to make history as Nepal’s first woman Prime Minister, will lead a small caretaker cabinet, with its first meeting expected on Friday night. The cabinet is likely to recommend the dissolution of the federal parliament along with all seven provincial assemblies.

The agreement followed three days of mass protests, sparked by the government’s ban on several social media platforms and mounting anger over corruption. By Wednesday, a consensus had begun forming among Gen-Z demonstrators around Ms. Karki’s name as the leader of a caretaker administration until fresh elections are held.

On Thursday, however, reports indicated divisions among the protesters, with some pushing for Kulman Ghising—the engineer credited with resolving Nepal’s power crisis- as the choice for interim Prime Minister.

Another name that surfaced was that of Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, widely known as Balen, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician. While highly popular among protesters, Shah declined to take up the interim role and instead voiced his support for Ms. Karki.

Ms. Karki, who made history as Nepal’s first woman Chief Justice and served from 2016 to 2017, enjoys strong backing from Gen-Z demonstrators. Their support stems largely from her uncompromising stance against corruption during her judicial career. These young protesters were at the forefront of the uprising that forced KP Oli to step down on Tuesday.

The former chief justice, who pursued her studies at Banaras Hindu University, noted in an interview with an Indian channel that India has extended significant support to Nepal.

Also Read: Who is Sushila Karki? The Former Chief Justice Who will Lead Nepal’s Interim Govt