Nepal’s first female prime minister was sworn in Friday as interim leader, capping a tumultuous week that saw massive and deadly youth-led protests against corruption and nepotism topple the country’s leader and plunge the nation into political turmoil.
Former chief justice Sushila Karki, 73, was the unlikely choice of the “Gen Z” protesters behind the movement that started out as a social media demonstration against the lavish lifestyles of “Nepo Kids” but spilled out onto the streets and into the deadliest social unrest Nepal has seen in years.
Protesters signaled their support for Karki through an informal vote on the messaging app Discord.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs welcomed the announcement and said it is “hopeful” that the change would “help in fostering peace and stability.”
“As a close neighbour, a fellow democracy and a long term development partner, India will continue to work closely with Nepal for the well-being and prosperity of our two peoples and countries,” a statement from the ministry said.
A statement from the office of President Ram Chandra Paudel said he has dissolved parliament on the recommendation of Karki, and new elections have been scheduled for March 5, 2026.
Karki has spent much of her career within the very establishment the youth are protesting against, yet her reputation as a fearless and incorruptible jurist has appealed to many young people in the country of 30 million.
“We want someone who has integrity and is not a political opportunist. She fits that category for us,” Biraj Aryal, a 28-year-old aspiring chartered accountant, said Karki is “the only figure that the entire country can rely upon.”
“Since she has been a judge she is well versed with the laws and systems of the land. We are certain she can provide a safe landing for us out of this crisis,” he added.
“She has shown she has a spine,” 24-year-old law student Anjali Sah told CNN. “She is also the first female justice of Nepal and we are hoping that a woman leading this country will help set things in order and reduce corruption.”
Binay Mishra, a Kathmandu-based public policy analyst, said Karki “has lately become very vocal, particularly about the politicization of judiciary and how judges are being appointed partially.”
She has grown in stature over the past few months, he added.
Born in the Morang district of eastern Nepal, Karki built a legal career culminating in her historic appointment as Nepal’s first female chief justice, in 2016. It was during her tenure at the helm of the judiciary that she became known for her zero-tolerance approach to corruption.
One year after her appointment, Karki faced an impeachment motion from the ruling coalition after her bench overturned the government’s choice for police chief, a decision seen as a defense of meritocracy against political cronyism.
The motion was withdrawn after a significant public and judicial backlash, an episode that solidified her image as a guardian of institutional integrity against an overreaching executive.
Anger has been brewing in the Himalayan nation for years about the country’s worsening youth unemployment and lack of economic opportunities, exacerbated by what many view as a growing disparity between the country’s elite and regular people.
Nepal’s current bout of political unrest started in early September, when a group of young Nepalis, fed up with seeing politicians’ children posting about their designer handbags and luxury travel while most people struggle to make ends meet, organized a peaceful protest.
A government ban last week on more than two dozen social media platforms – including Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp – added fuel to the fire.
In a stunning political development, protesters set fire to parliament and the Supreme Court, key symbols of state, forcing prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign.
Fifty one people have been killed, including 21 protesters, 3 police officers and 27 others, Nepal Police spokesperson Binod Ghimire told CNN. More than 1,700 have been wounded in the clashes, according to the Ministry of Health and Population.
CNN’s Lex Harvey contributed reporting.
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